Happily Ever After Never Lasts
by Oh Please
Summary: Almost 2 decades after the final battle in the Manga, most of the gang is still together. But, Kagome never returned from being sucked into the Meidou. Sesshomaru finds a strange creature and carries it to Inuyasha's group. New Chap 61 - Investigation
1. Chapter 1 What have I found?

AN: This will be a story with shorter chapters and an almost drabble-like tone in later chapters. I hope this will lend itself to being updated more often than once every 4 months like some of my other stories. I will return to my other stories as well. This is simply something to get the creative juices flowing.

Summary - 20 years after Kagome vanished at the final battle, Sesshomaru finds a strange creature dying in the woods. Who is this girl? Where did she come from? Why is she in such horrible shape?

The ending of the manga was just a little too pat and perfect. It seemed almost like an illusion. But, didn't Byakuya of the illusions cut Kagome before she vanished? Didn't the Shikon no Tama admit that she would have lived her life trapped in the illusion of the perfect life in the present? What if everything that happened after she pierced the Shikon with her arrow was just that, an illusion? What if she subconsciously made a wish and just didn't know what was really happening? Could she be trapped for all eternity in the jewel or would she find some way to escape? Would she still be sane after experiencing the constant battle against the evil, hungry demons and Naraku? Was this the ultimate desire of the jewel of which Naraku had spoken? And what was Naraku's wish? It seems all he wanted was to spend eternity together with Kikyo. Did the jewel pervert that wish by sealing Naraku and Kikyo's reincarnation in the eternal struggle? Did the human bandit Onigumo suffer regrets watching his demon possessed body kill Kikyo two or three times?

Chapter 1 - What have I found?

Sesshomaru stared down at the puddle of humanity collapsed on the forest floor in disgust. It always amazed him how sadistic the human race could be to others of his kind, or to lowly animals. Now he stared at irrefutable evidence that humans did not even hold their own kind in any regard.

The pitiful creature before him made him want to destroy at least a few villages in retribution. His face wrinkled a bit as he contemplated his next move. From the smell, it was obvious that this bundle of hair was a human, although it did not exactly smell right. There was a stronger odor of a noxious plant that almost obliterated the human scent. Still, if one with his amazing abilities was to investigate closely, the underlying tang of humanity was clear.

Also present was the sickening smell of blood and a festering wound. His eyes could not penetrate the tangled mass of black hair that obscured most of the body, so he couldn't be sure of the extent of the injuries on this being. Yet, he was loathe to touch the creature. From the looks of the unwashed hair, it was likely that this being was infested with fleas and other parasites; none of which he wanted to transfer to his person. So, with as little contact as possible, he hooked his boot under an edge of the mat of hair and shoved the pile over.

The body that was revealed to his curious eyes was in even worse shape than the mat of hair. Dried patches of mud clung to the mostly naked body of what appeared to be a small child. Mixed in with the dirt on the back that was exposed to him were trails of old, dried blood that ran from the child's neck.

His brows furrowed in an angry frown as he inspected the strange coverings on the child's body. There was what appeared to be a metal corset that wrapped around the skinny torso from just under the arms down to the child's waist. From there, two strips of metal, the width of two of his fingers, ran from the edge of the armor down the non-existent cheeks of the child's rear, to disappear between its legs. At the top of the armor, two more strips of metal the same width, disappeared up into the mass of hair towards the neck.

His head tilted slightly to the side as he tried to figure out this puzzle. What in the world had he found? He looked closer and found locking mechanisms on the back of the corset and realization dawned on him. This was some type of slave or pet. He had heard of the atrocities of some of the supposed "noblemen" of the human world, but had believed them to be only rumors and unfounded accusations, as he had never witnessed these acts first hand.

Upon this startling realization, another unwelcome thought followed closely on its heels. This thing was female as indicated by the chastity belt attached to the bottom of the armor. His confusion morphed into full-blown anger at this thought. How could any living being treat a small girl child in such a deplorable manner?


	2. Chapter 2 What do I do with it?

Chapter 2 What to do with it?

His eyes assessed her physical condition closer. There was no way this child could be more than four feet tall. Her body was so thin he could see the contours of her hip bones and leg bones as if she were a sun-bleached skeleton. The edges of the corset seemed to literally dig into the pale skin surrounding it. He also noticed that the chastity belt dug into her fragile skin, leaving trails of blood and ragged wounds. Knowing what he would find, but still needing to confirm his suspicions, he hooked a boot under the mat of hair again, and shoved enough away to view the girl's neck.

If he had not been such a powerful demon with the ability to control his reactions, he would have vomited his breakfast on the spot. The slave collar that he knew he would find on her neck had been there so long that it had cut deeply into the skin. It must have been placed on her at a very young age, and never changed or enlarged as she grew. The constricting metal band had cut so deeply into her neck that it almost disappeared in some places.

Again the urge to hunt down her owners and disembowel them slowly filled his being at the pitiful condition of this girl. He knew he had to do something to help her, even though no one would expect it of the demon lord. He did have some pity, buried deep within his heart. He just usually ignored it. But this was such an atrocious act that he couldn't just walk away and let nature take its course. It was patently obvious that this girl had been suffering for a long time to have such horrible wounds.

His first thought was to simply put the poor creature out of its misery. He could now detect the faint wheezing that accompanied every breath. Whether it was from some type of lung sickness, or the constriction of the slave collar, he could not tell from his vantage point. Still… she had survived this long…it would be a pity to just snuff out the life she had fought so hard to achieve. How long had she been free? Had she been able to enjoy her life away from the crushing boot of her slave owner or had she just escaped? In some dark corner of his heart, he just couldn't end her life without knowing if it was merciful or not. He could not bring himself to rob an innocent of their chance to experience life.

His mind drifted back to Rin. She had cared for him at the detriment of her own life. He had been at a point where he would have just laid down and died when she approached him without fear. He had seen the bruises and been incensed that someone so innocent could be mistreated so badly. Still, he had known first-hand about the cruelties of the human race. Until that point, he had never doubted his inclination to kill humans first and never even ask questions later.

So, he was now faced with the dilemma of what to do with the girl. He could not take her with him. Contrary to popular belief, he had not taken Rin with him; she had simply followed him like a stray dog. As time passed, he had learned what she needed to live by watching her take care of herself. Still, he didn't provide for her. He saved her life on occasion when she was reckless or captured by one of Naraku's plans, but that was the extent of his care.

He wondered if Rin could care for this girl, since she was now an adult with a home that she had made with Kohaku in her favorite flowering clearing. While, he knew Rin to be a capable human, he doubted she had any special skills or knowledge of healing. From the looks of this child, it would take many months to nurse her back to some semblance of health. That was, IF they could get the slave collar and corset off.

He had heard that some treasured slaves were fitted with special collars. If tampered with, they would inject an insidious poison directly into the spine of the slave. The result was a slow, torturous death that could take weeks, depending on the toxin and condition of the slave.

Sesshomaru was hesitant to take his claws to this collar in the off chance that this was one of the special varieties. Not that he thought her owner had treasured her very highly, if one took into account her current condition. But the very fact that she had been fitted with a chastity belt at such a young age hinted at the concern of her owner that she might be sexually assaulted as a child. There must have been something special about her that caused her owner to worry. Maybe she was a descendent of a special slave? Maybe she was the heir to some overthrown royal? Maybe she was an uncommon beauty under all those pounds of matted hair?

So, he had to think of someone that could not only care for her, but somehow disable this collar if it was booby-trapped. The only being intelligent enough for the task was the monk that used to travel with his half-brother. Though their interactions had been few and far between, due to his aggressive brother, the monk had shown frightening intelligence in those glimpsed moments.

Not only was the monk the right individual for the job of collar removal, he was sure that his half-brother's woman could be instrumental in treating these wounds. Sesshomaru could still not quite stomach that Inuyasha had reunited with the twice dead priestess, but stranger things had been known to happen. Sesshomaru did not visit their village often, as peering at the face of Inuyasha's woman caused uncomfortable feelings to surface in the demon lord. He had long ago decided it was because the face so closely resembled the one woman he had found to be interesting. Kagome. But those were thoughts for another day. His present job was to get this child to help.


	3. Chapter 3 In Transit

Chapter 3 In transit

Chapter 3 In transit

With his course set, the demon lord looked at the pitiful body on the ground and tried to decide how to carry this child without causing further injuries, or allowing her fleas to jump on him. He could not wrap her in his tail, since the fleas would love to burrow into his fur. His only other option was to grab her bindings somewhere so he could hold her body away from his. He did not want to grasp the bands connected to her collar since that would most likely choke her. He didn't want to grab the bands of her chastity belt since that would cause the metal to dig deeper into her tender flesh. His only option was to actually grasp the lower edge of the metal corset along her spine.

He squelched his disgust at touching the dirty body and tried to work his fingers under the edge of the armor at her waist. With only one finger holding her, he lifted the girl up by the armor and flew off to his half-brother's compound.

Sesshomaru was astounded at how little the girl actually weighed. Not that a full-grown woman would have caused much strain on his one finger. It was rather the fact that he could not even tell that he was holding a living being. It was more like holding an illusion. If it had not been for the smell, and the thick, matted black hair whipping aginst his arm, he would have thought this was only a dream.

He was at the compound in a matter of moments and gently placed the girl by the door in the front gate. He vaguely remembered this had been the old demon-slayer village in the past decades. Apparently, in the nearly two decades plus since Naraku's defeat, the monk and his friends had restored the compound into a thriving village. A smirk played on Sesshomaru's face as he recalled that more than half the population growth was the monk's and slayer's descendents. At last count, they had spawned over fifteen children, some of which had since gotten married and started their own families. It seemed that the monk and his descendents were quite fertile. Maybe it was a consolation from the gods for the generations of his family being cursed.

Even Inuyasha had seemed to mature in the time since Naraku's defeat. He still never really expected the boy to make an honest woman out of the revived Kikyo. Although they had a history, very little of it was positive. It seemed to the demon lord, that his brother stayed with the strange priestess out of guilt and obligation. Maybe he was waiting for her to die a third time so that he could finally live and find happiness? That probably wasn't a bad idea, since the boy was still a few decades away from reaching maturity in demon years. He still had the mind and heart of a teenage boy.

Sesshomaru reached for the padded stick that hung by a tether next to a pitted gong by the front gate. It was still too early for the inhabitants to be up and about, so he struck the gong to announce his presence. In truth, he could have just landed inside the compound, but he didn't want anyone to know of his involvement, and as soon as he heard a response inside, he was going to vanish. He had other things of importance to do, and didn't want to waste his morning by being questioned by the monk, or threatened by his half-brother. Although, their fights had evolved into almost friendly tests of skill, sometimes he just wasn't in the mood. This was one of those times.

When a voice was heard within the wooden gate, Sesshomaru slid out of sight and landed in the branches of a tree on the edge of the woods. He watched a head peak over the top of the gate to take in the condition of their visitor. Once it was determined to be safe, a flood of people exited through the door in the gate like ants boiling out of a disturbed mound. Sesshomaru felt his muscles relax as the villagers carried the girl within their protective walls and he set out to return to his routine of wandering. He still needed to stop in and visit Rin this week to determine if Kohaku was adequately caring for the woman.


	4. Chapter 4 Welcoming Committee

Chapter 4 Welcoming Committee

Chapter 4 Welcoming Committee

Miroku had been summoned from his warm bed earlier than was usual for the growing village. Usually, the physical work was done by the village men. The domestic chores were handled by the village women. The defending was done by Inuyasha. Sango trained the new recruits, when she was not heavy with child. Shippo and Kirara watched and entertained the children. And Kikyo tended to the sick and injured. Miroku was usually only called when there was a problem, or planning was needed. Somehow, he had been elected the village's tactician and judge. In practical terms, he was the village head-man, but since it was Sango's village, he did not let the villagers elect him to that position. It was a peaceful, organized life that was occasionally interrupted by the random demon attack that was so strong it required all of their efforts.

Miroku straightened his hastily donned robes as he exited his hut. He had been in the process of worshipping his lovely wife when he had gotten the call. There seemed to be some type of disturbance at the gate that was more than Kikyo and Inuyasha could handle. He knew his lovely, pregnant wife would soon appear once she donned her outfit, so he wanted to settle the problem as quickly as possible. With any luck, he could be finished before she was dressed, and they could continue where they left off.

Kikyo's hut was the closest to the gate entrance, with an open porch where visiting ill travelers could be treated. This was where the villagers congregated, so Miroku assumed this was where he was needed. The men and women parted to let him through, and then turned to attend their morning chores, confident that the elders of the village could handle the problem.

Kikyo was leaning over a small dark figure on the porch of her hut. Inuyasha sat on a porch railing and watched with a snarl plastered on his face. Miroku had just gotten close enough to hear when the hanyou grumbled, "But his smell is all over….that!"

Curious purple eyes scanned the "that" they were discussing. He would have thought it some type of hair demon if it were not for the very human ankles and feet protruding out from under the tangle of black hair. Maybe it was some type of half hair demon?

He addressed the agitated half demon, "Is there some way I can be of assistance? Oh, and Inuyasha, whose smell is all over 'that'?" The staff jingled as Miroku stepped up onto the porch and leaned against it. His eyes returned to the body that Kikyo was trying to uncover under the matted hair.

Inuyasha jumped off the railing and stepped over to the side of one of his oldest friends. With a snort he grunted, "Sesshomaru. That bastard's smell is all over this thing. I don't like this."

Kikyo's voice floated up from the porch in a calming manner, "So, it's possible that Sesshomaru deposited this person at our doorstep. Wouldn't that explain the smell?"

Inuyasha snorted again and crossed his arms, "You think he'd care enough to bring someone to us for help? He'd just do away with them and leave their carcass to rot. He'd probably think it was merciful. I just don't buy it."


	5. Chapter 5 Observations

Chapter 5

Miroku's curiosity was definitely piqued by this mysterious creature that had possibly been brought to them by the demon lord. So, with a more critical, analytical eye, he surveyed this "thing" on Kikyo's porch.

He started with the parts he could see; the feet. They were dirty and calloused from lack of footwear. He also noticed that the toe nails were jagged and broken and some were missing entirely. His brow creased in a frown. It must have had a rough life.

Next, he moved on to the ankles. Numerous scars and scratches covered the surface. Other than that there wasn't really much to tell by the bony parts except that there was no fat on this being. Each muscle and tendon could be seen through the paper thin layer of pale skin.

Miroku then looked at the mass of hair. It was tangled beyond belief. Even wild animals were not this matted. Leaves and debris were trapped in the twisted locks of what was probably black hair. As it was now, the color was a dirty brown. Just from the mass of matting, it was reasonable to assume this creature had been alone in the woods for many years. It was also reasonable to assume that this creature had not bathed in an equal number of years.

Kikyo had been trying to part the mass of hair to get to the underlying body to look for injuries. There just wasn't any way to divide that mess, so she reached into her sleeve for the small knife she kept there to cut herbs. She grabbed a handful near the ankles, and began hacking a divide into the tangles, working her way up the body.

Only Miroku noticed the slight tensing of the feet at the appearance of the knife. His interest was even more focused when he realized that whoever was under that pile of fur was actually awake and aware enough to be afraid of a knife. Hmm, curious.

The legs were the first to be revealed. They too were devoid of any fat and showed scars of minor and serious injuries. The skin of the knees was dirty and calloused like its feet. In Miroku's mind this confirmed that this creature most likely walked on its hands and knees, using its feet for propulsion like a cat. The thighs were revealed to be just as thin and scarred as the lower legs.

As Kikyo hacked away at the hair, a startling discovery stopped her for a moment. She stepped into her hut and retuned with a small towel. Miroku caught just a glimpse of a patch of black curly hair at the apex of the creature's legs before Kikyo modestly covered the area with the towel. Miroku's years of experience immediately confirmed that this creature was indeed a female something. Not only that, but she was old enough to have reached maturity and grown hair. He had fathered enough girls to know roughly when that occurred in human girls. He wondered what age that event occurred in half-demons.

As Kikyo returned to her assault on the barrier of hair, Inuyasha turned his face and dry-heaved against the hand-rail of the porch beside Miroku. Miroku's hand grasped the red fire-rat covered arm and asked, "Inuyasha, my good man, what ever is the matter?"

The hanyou tried to straighten and covered his nose with his sleeve, "That thing reeks of blood and infection. It might have been better if Sesshomaru HAD simply put it out of its misery." And with that, the boy moved farther away, conspicuously down-wind from the porch.

Kikyo's anguished voice whispered up from her work. "Oh, you poor thing. Who could do such a horrible thing?"


	6. Chapter 6 Watching

Chapter 6 - Watching

Chapter 6 - Watching

Miroku leaned over a bit to see the revealed straps of a chastity belt that were dug into the female's flesh. The skin was red and raw around the metal and blood had dried on the straps and below. This was most likely the source of the infection that turned his friend's stomach. A question started to pester his mind. "How long would someone have to wear such a thing to end up in this deplorable shape?" The clues were beginning to add up into a gruesome picture. Still, he wanted to withhold judgment until he had seen everything.

From there, the picture only worsened. The metal corset was soon revealed. It was obvious from the size and shape, that this was something designed for a small child. How a grown woman, or even a teenager, could breathe in such a constricting object was beyond his imagining. He eyed the condition of the metal itself and realized that it must have been very old to be so worn, pitted and rusted in spots. And, just as the straps below, the skin was red and raw around the edges of the armor. Kikyo asked, "Why in the world would anyone put such a thing on a child?"

Miroku shook his head and thought back to what he had heard. "I think they said there were loops on the back so they could restrain the slaves without tying them by the neck or hands. It was supposedly more humane."

It took a few more minutes for Kikyo's shaking hands to hack a path towards the pitiful creature's throat. When that was revealed, all present wished that there was some way they could cover it back up. The damage from the now clearly visible slave collar was appalling. How long would it have taken for something like that to have actually grown into the poor creature's neck? For that matter, how was the poor thing even able to breathe or eat? There was no way she would last much longer with that hateful collar in place. No wonder she was so undernourished. She probably couldn't even swallow anymore.

Miroku's mind swirled, wanting to deny what he was seeing. She had obviously been a slave of a very sick individual. He had fitted her with all this while she was a small child, and she had somehow escaped. From the condition of her hair and body, it had apparently been quite a few years that she had hidden in the woods and barely survived. Recently, she had reached puberty, and her growing body was being strangled on the slave trappings. He wanted to dry-heave over the hand-rail just as Inuyasha had, now that he could see the extent of her condition.

Behind him, he heard Sango as she huffed up the path. It was hard on her to get around quickly when she was so pregnant, but she still insisted on responding to back Inuyasha up in case of attack. She was the closest thing the village had to a General of the responding forces. She took one look at the pitiful creature lying on the porch under Kikyo's hands, and turned to actually vomit beside the porch.

Miroku rushed to her side to help hold her as her body shook. He would have spared her the sight if he had not been so mired in his own thoughts on the subject. When she was done, Sango turned her watering eyes towards her husband and whispered, "Who could do such a thing?" Miroku could not answer her, so he gave her his best loving hug and tried to comfort her as Kikyo continued to reveal the being under the hair.

A gasp from the porch brought all their attention back to Kikyo. They found the priestess staring into the face of what appeared to be a fully human girl. They had all assumed, because of the volume of hair, that this was some type of hybrid. It shocked them all to realize they were wrong. There was nothing demonic about the smudged face that shown through the shorn hair. On top of that, the eyes were half-opened and alert. She had watched them as they had watched her.


	7. Chapter 7 Fight or Flight

Chapter 7 Fight or Flight

Miroku released Sango and stepped slowly towards the prone female. The half-lidded eyes tracked his movement and he saw the tell tale signs as her body tensed. Wisely he stopped his advance and simply watched. The girl relaxed and her eyes slid back over to Kikyo's knife that was still suspended in the air. Kikyo flashed an embarrassed smile and placed the knife beside her on the porch.

The mystery girl simply stared at Kikyo for a bit longer before she reached cautiously toward her with a filthy and calloused hand. A loud snarl erupted from Inuyasha at the perceived threat to Kikyo. That simple sound launched an unexpected chain reaction of events.

In a flash, the female was up on her hands and knees and she galloped away from the half-demon on all fours like a dog. The men at the gate swiveled and brought their spears up to defend from the attack. In a loud, commanding voice, Miroku shouted, "Stop! Don't hurt her! She's just afraid!" But it was no use. The inexperienced slayer-trainee on the left side of the gate panicked and threw his spear at the approaching threat. The flowing trail of black hair abruptly stilled as the body beneath it impacted with the spear.

Inuyasha led the charge of the four former shard hunters as they sprinted towards the commotion. In an instant, he had the girl pinned by the neck on the ground, a spear protruding from her left thigh. In his mind, this thing had threatened Kikyo, and tried to injure one of the villagers. Even Kikyo's calls for Inuyasha to not hurt the girl did not penetrate the buzz in his ears. He calmed for a moment to look down his arm at the creature held in his grasp and jumped back. His eyes were the size of saucers as he stared in disbelief at what he thought he had just seen. He sniffed to see if he was hallucinating and his nose confirmed what his eyes had seen.

As Miroku reached the girl's side, Inuyasha pointed a shaking hand and started screaming, "How? It's impossible! I saw you die! You can't be her!" The monk wondered if his friend's mind had finally snapped. But now wasn't the time. There was a now more seriously injured girl to take care of.

He heard the wheezing of the girl as she tried to take in enough air to feed her starving lungs and muscles after her sprint. She was slowly being suffocated by the collar and metal corset. This was probably why she was unconscious earlier. If she had attempted to escape some predator in the woods, she would have eventually blacked out from lack of oxygen.

Miroku looked down at the pale face peering up from the mass of hair at him and gasped. This must be what had set Inuyasha off. This girl bore a striking resemblance to Kagome, especially with her eyes this large as she struggled to breathe. A pang of longing rushed through him at the loss of their friend. It had been almost two decades since they had lost her.

Kikyo ran up and started binding the spear wound while Sango ran past them to punch the recruit square in the face. Neither woman noticed the strange reactions of the men to the resemblance of their friend. Instead, they simply did what was needed.

Again, the strange girl reached a shaky hand out towards Kikyo. Miroku saw the look of confusion cross the pale, sweating face. His eyes traveled to her hand and confirmed his thoughts that the backs of her knuckles showed evidence of her using her hands like paws while she ran. This girl had probably never walked upright in her short life.

Kikyo finally turned from surveying her work to notice the quivering hand outstretched towards her. She unconsciously reached for the hand in a reassuring gesture. Just before the fingers touched, Kikyo's eyes made contact with the bewildered eyes of this creature. With a startled gasp at the resemblance, Kikyo snatched her hand away like it had been burned. The girl dropped her hand and made a whine in the back of her throat before she passed out from trying to breathe.

The four friends slowly circled around the unconscious girl until the men noticed that the girl had lost the towel that protected her modesty. Sango and Kikyo practically growled at the men to turn around while they gently carried the slip of a girl back to Kikyo's hut. It was decided to place her inside to prevent a further incident if she should reawaken.


	8. Chapter 8 Now What?

Chapter 8 – Now what

Miroku and Inuyasha had resumed their positions leaning against the hand-rail of the porch, and pondered the sudden appearance of someone who resembled the long lost Kagome. The uncertainties of the past resurfaced as they thought about traps, illusions and necromancy.

Sango wandered out after a few moments to demand, "We need to get that crap off of her. It's killing her. No matter who she is, no one should have to suffer like that." She swung a fist at the porch post and felt better at the shock that traveled up her arm. Miroku reached over and grasped her hand and soothed his thumb over the pinkening knuckles of his wife. After a moment, he brought the hand to his mouth and kissed it with complete adoration.

Inuyasha finally asked in a somewhat subdued voice, "So, how old do you think she is?" It had bothered him that this girl looked like Kagome had when she vanished. There was no way that if this were Kagome, she would look that young still. It was just too strange to think about. He trusted Miroku would find the solution. All these years together as a group had taught him that much. He trusted those that he trusted.

Miroku looked off into the distance and voiced his thoughts. "Well, from the size and shape of the collar and armor, I'd say it was put on her when she was between five and eight years old. From the condition of the metal and the length of her hair, I'd say it's probably been about eight to ten years since she escaped. Considering how the collar has grown into her neck and the tightness of the metal corset, I'd say she entered puberty some time in the last two or three years. That would put her around fifteen years old. Of course, that's in human years and she could be older. Considering how restricting the armor is, it may have prevented her from developing any further than a teenage body."

Kikyo exited the hut and Inuyasha couldn't stop from asking, "How is she?" A strange look crossed Kikyo's face that made him feel like he had just asked Kagome how Kikyo was. It was an old guilt that he had long ago become used to.

Kikyo shook her head and stared at the knots in the wood on the porch. "Well, the spear wound isn't so bad. It should heal nicely. But, if we don't get that collar off, she probably won't live much longer." She tugged at a thread on her sleeve and continued, "But, even if we get if off, I don't know if the damage from the metal can be healed. I think the skin under the metal corset is probably all but non-existent. We may be opening her up to a whole new risk of infection."

Sango grunted as she plopped herself down on the top step of the porch. "It doesn't matter. Even if it kills her, she deserves to be able to draw a complete breath before she dies."

Inuyasha shifted to sit on the railing and pondered, "I wonder why Sesshomaru didn't just cut all that shit off of her when he had the chance. Surely he could smell what it had done." Silently, he wondered again why Sesshomaru hadn't just put the little bundle out of its misery, because it was obvious to everyone that she was in a miserable state.

Miroku clucked his teeth as he thought about something he had heard in passing through a village. "Actually, I seem to recall hearing that some slave collars were tamper-proof. If someone other than the owner tried to unlock or remove them, they injected the slave with a dose of poison. Do you think Sesshomaru knew that? He does travel around a great deal more than even I have."

Inuyasha growled, "That's just sick. How can people treat slaves like that anyways?"

Miroku sighed, "I don't think she was kept as a slave, Inuyasha. I think she was kept as a pet, probably in a kennel."


	9. Chapter 9 Human?

Chapter 9 - Never seen humans

Chapter 9 – Human?

The long white hair whipped against the monk's arm as Inuyasha turned a shocked face towards him. Miroku continued, "You saw how she ran; on all fours like an animal. I don't think she's ever walked upright. The skin on her knuckles and knees shows that she uses them to walk and run like a dog. She probably was never even around people, with the way she reacted to us."

Kikyo nodded her head in agreement. "I think you're right, Miroku. That makes sense with the damage I saw on her body. She's totally wild."

Sango spat on the dirt past the steps, "What kind of sick bastard would keep a human in a kennel?" The idea made her want to go kill something.

Inuyasha looked confused and he tried to explain, "Um, actually, I don't think she's human; at least, not all human. Something smells off about her. She sorta smells like K. . . human, but not really. It's weird." He drug his toes against the porch boards as he thought of a better way to explain it.

Miroku put a hand to his chin, "But she doesn't bear any demon markings. And she doesn't have any indications that she's a half demon."

Inuyasha twitched his ears at that remark and folded his arms on his chest in a huff, "I only know what I know. And she don't smell all human!"

Kikyo decided to steer the conversation back to the important topic, "That's all well and good, but how do we get the collar and corset off? Was it just the collar that was rigged? If so, we can at least cut off the belt and the corset. Maybe the blacksmith could help us with that. It doesn't appear to be any special type of metal. I sense no aura or powers coming from it. If there ever was any, it has probably faded away by now."

Inuyasha held up his claws and let them gleam in the sunlight. He offered, "I could always just cut that shit off. I haven't met a metal yet I couldn't cut." His smirk let one of his canines peek out from his lip.

Kikyo looked disheartened, "It will probably be a little harder than that since it has dug so far into her skin. Her skin might actually be bonded to it in places. We might have to slip something between the metal and her skin to prevent any further damage."

Sango shuddered at the thought of how much that would hurt. It would be like shoving metal under her skin. "We better do it while she's unconscious. Otherwise she might go nuts from the pain."

Miroku suggested, "Well, why don't we at least let Inuyasha cut off the dreadful chastity belt since it can be removed with the least trouble. That way, the blacksmith could analyze the metal to make sure it is nothing special."

All four heads nodded in agreement and it was only moments later that they all surrounded the small woman. Being this close to her again, Inuyasha started sweating from nervousness. It was almost like it was Kagome, even though he knew that was impossible. Besides, Kagome would never have let herself stay this dirty. That woman loved water. Many were the times he thought she'd wash her skin plumb off.


	10. Chapter 10 We've done all we can for now

Chapter 10 – We've done all we can for now

AN: Chapter 9 was so short I uploaded two to make up for it. Hope you'll all forgive me. It's hard trying to chop this story up into bite-sized pieces.

Chapter 10 – We've done all we can for now

Kikyo carefully uncovered the girl's abdomen to reveal the horrible straps that were digging into the soft flesh of her pelvis. With the extreme care that he usually only showed while holding Sango's new babies, Inuyasha tried to slide a finger under the strap, closest to the edge of the armor. His plan was to cut upward to keep his claws away from her fragile skin. Still, it was nearly impossible to work his finger under that strap because the apparatus was so very tight.

Distractedly, Inuyasha noticed that the girl's stomach was a hollow pit. The skin was stretched over the area like a drum. It was painfully obvious to everyone that she had not eaten anything in a very long time. The collar probably kept her from being able to swallow anything of substance. Kikyo was thinking the same thing and planned to make some broth to pour into this starved girl as soon as this was over.

It took a great deal longer than he would have thought to cut through four small straps of metal. It turned out that the metal was not normal as they had all thought. Then, there was the need to turn her over to get at the back straps. Her hair was so much in the way, that out of frustration, Inuyasha balled up a handful and sheered it off with his anxious claws. By the time he stopped, he had shorn about 2/3rd of the mess off, and it ended just below her shoulders. Kikyo refused to mention that this was the exact length that Kagome had worn all those years ago.

Once all the straps were cut, Kikyo hustled the men out of the hut for modesty's sake. She and Sango knew it was not going to be so easy to remove the hated metal that had left such sores. True enough, there were several places, below the belt, where the skin had to be cut away since it had grown around the apparatus. Small whines of pain escaped from their patient even though she was unconscious.

It was nearing mid-morning when Kikyo and Sango exited the hut with the straps in hand. Kikyo's face was stiff with anger as she heaved the bundle over the railing with as much force as she could muster. Even Naraku wouldn't be that vile.

Miroku wrapped his wife in a reassuring hug as he quietly asked, "How did it go?" Sango wiped the sweat that had beaded on her forehead and sighed, "It was awful. We had to cut it off of her in some spots. I can't even begin to imagine how terrible the rest is going to be." He felt his wife trembling and realized that none of them had eaten this morning. He switched roles from comforter to caretaker as he announced, "Well, we've done all we can for now. We need to eat to keep up our strength. Why don't you ladies go get something to eat and I'll carry that 'sample' over to the blacksmith. Inuyasha can watch over the hut to make sure our visitor stays put."


	11. Chapter 11 Eavesdropping Demon Lord

Chapter 11 – Eavesdropping Demon Lords

Beyond the edge of the forest, the great demon lord had returned to check on the village. He had every intention to continue on his routine, but found himself being pulled back to the compound by curiosity. He couldn't stop wondering if they had found the girl, and if they had helped her in some way. He also didn't want to think about the consequences, if the monk didn't realize that the collar might be tamper-proof. It would be a shame for her to have lived this long in the wild to be brought down by ignorance or pride; namely, the monk's ignorance, or his own pride.

So, he decided to return and listen. If it sounded like they were going to do anything stupid, he would intervene. If not, he would simply stay until he was assured that they would help her.

He would not admit it to a living soul, but to hear them talk about her pitiful condition made some small part of him twinge in regret. If he had known she was suffering so greatly, he would have thought longer about ending her tortured existence. He was a merciful demon when it was required.

He had not expected her to have enough energy to attempt to flee. Still, it had shocked him to watch her run on all fours like an animal. He had nearly attacked when they had frightened the girl, and again when the foolish guard had injured her. It had satisfied his need for vengeance to watch the very pregnant slayer knock the young man unconscious with one blow. Yes, that would suffice.

To later hear the monk's supposition that she had been a pet kept in a kennel had caused anger to flash through him again. Then when he heard what they assumed her age to be, he promised himself he was going to find her master and kill him very slowly. It must have been a horribly bleak existence to cause a young woman to still have the size and form of a child.

But the revelation that nearly caused him to fall out of the tree in an undignified heap was that they thought she resembled Kagome. It had been a long time since he had last seen that courageous and foolish woman. Inuyasha had returned from the Meidou after the demise of Naraku and told them that she had perished in the fight to purify the Shikon no Tama.

It had been a crushing blow to Inuyasha's little band of friends to lose the one that truly held them together. It had been a sad day for the great demon lord because he had truly found the girl to be entertaining and refreshing. There were very few beings that would still stand against him; unless they were trying to defeat him and take over his lands/power/position.

Once all the friends within the compound had left the girl alone to recuperate in the hut, he slipped over the fence and into the hut. It was no problem for him to hide his presence from Inuyasha. The boy rarely ever detected his approach unless the demon lord desired him to do so.

There on the floor, covered in a thin blanket, was the girl he had rescued. She looked much better now that they had cleared away that ungodly amount of hair. They had also cleaned the majority of the dirt off of her so he could see her face. The stench of blood and infection still clung to her, but he could smell what his brother had detected. She not only resembled the dead Kagome in appearance, but this woman held some of her unique scent. And just as Inuyasha had tried to explain, there was something not human in her scent. It was like the traces of a demon that had been present long ago.

The strangled breathing caught his attention as he watched her sleep. He knew what the priestess said was true. If this damnable collar was not removed soon, it would kill her. His hands itched to simply melt it, but he did not know the mechanism for triggering the poison it could release. He could not smell anything in the metal, but that didn't mean there was nothing there. As weak as her body was, there was no way she could survive an encounter with a powerful toxin. For that matter, she might not even survive an encounter with a weak poison. Only that thought prevented him from acting on his impulse to melt it. Still…


	12. Chapter 12 A Thing for Strays?

Chapter 12 – A Thing for Strays?

The group reconvened on Kikyo's porch after a filling breakfast and a visit to the village blacksmith. It was discovered that the metal straps were of a unique composition which caused the alloy to be many times stronger than the metals currently used by humans. The blacksmith actually wanted to keep the vile apparatus and attempt to melt it down into a blade. Since none of them cared to see it again, it was decided to allow the man to attempt this transformation.

Inuyasha tried to listen to the discussion on the porch, but something kept nagging at his senses. He rose and wandered into the hut. As soon as he crossed the threshold, the smell of his older brother assaulted his nose. He growled out a curse, "Damn! That bastard was here while we weren't looking!"

They all rushed in to check on the condition of the girl inside. Kikyo inspected her wounds and reported, "Her condition is unchanged. If he was here he didn't do anything to her."

Inuyasha was indignant, "What do you mean "if" he was here? Didn't I just tell you I smelled his disgusting scent?"

A dispassionate voice echoed outside the hut, "Hm. It's a wonder you can smell anything with your stench, Inuyasha. One would wonder if you ever bathe."

Miroku whirled about to see the pristine white silks of the demon lord visible under the door flap of Kikyo's hut. He immediately switched into diplomat mode and tried to intervene before Inuyasha did something rash and dangerous. He bowed to the demon and greeted, "Ah, Lord Sesshomaru. What brings you to our humble village?"

An aggravated look crossed the classic features as he scoffed, "Don't waste this Sesshomaru's time with pleasantries. Have you determined how to disarm that collar?"

Miroku struck his wisest thinking pose and replied, "Ah, you have also heard the rumors of tamper proof collars." The monk gestured for the lord to enter as he turned to survey the girl. "We have been unable to detect any spiritual powers that might activate a hidden mechanism. Also, Inuyasha has been unable to detect the presence of any poison within the metal. Of course, that's not to say that it doesn't exist. If only we knew someone who created or implemented such vile bindings."

Inuyasha grumbled unhappily, "I still think I should just rip it off. I'm quick enough to remove it before anything could happen." He moved over to the far side of the unconscious woman and sat against the wall in a huff. "Why do you even care anyways?"

Kikyo decided to offer another alternative, "If there were some way we could place a second layer of metal between the collar and her neck, then we could possible prevent any dose of poison from being delivered. The only problem is that the collar has grown into her very skin. She can barely breathe now. I can't imagine how hard it would be if we added another layer of metal.

Sesshomaru took one more glance at the girl struggling to breathe and turned on his heel to exit the hut. He called over his shoulder, "Do nothing until I return." He then flew off over the compound walls and the surrounding forest.

Sango watched him go with a curious expression. "Well, that was…different. I wonder why he's going out of his way to help."

Inuyasha shrugged and offered, "Who knows. Maybe he just has a thing for strays?"


	13. Chapter 13 What's in a Name

AN: This will be the last double posting in one day. I'm not sure if the story will be updated over the weekend. EVERYONE HAVE A GREAT FOURTH OF JULY HOLIDAY. Do something to celebrate your freedom.

Chapter 13 – What's in a name

The group sat about Kikyo's porch in varying states of concentration as they waited for Sesshomaru to return. Shippo antagonized Inuyasha while Miroku allowed Sango to snuggle against him as a chair. Kikyo bustled about the front room of her hut preparing herbs and keeping an eye on the unconscious girl.

Kikyo's voice drifted out from the door of the hut. "So, what should we call her? We can't just keep calling her 'girl' or 'her.'" Inuyasha grunted "What about 'runt'?" as he rose to chase Shippo and give him the pounding he deserved. Sango snickered, "Nah, that's Shippo." "Brat?" came from the zooming blur of red and white as the half-demon cornered the little trembling fox. Kikyo's irritated voice preceded her as she exited the hut to join them in the mid-day calm, "Inuyasha! I'm being serious."

The triumphant half-dog sauntered up to the porch, fox in hand, "Okay, okay. I wonder if she even has a name." Inuyasha sat to torture the fox he had captured. Miroku's brow wrinkled in deep thought, "Well, seeing as she was probably kept in a kennel, she was probably never spoken to as a human." Shippo thought he would add to the conversation in hopes of distracting Inuyasha from his probably deserved punishment, "Do wild dogs give themselves names?"

Sango shifted a bit to find a comfortable position, which was nearly impossible as pregnant as she was, "From what I was taught, canine names were more descriptive of their unique talents or traits." Miroku shifted a bit more and finally lifted her and dragged her into his lap so she could rest against his frame. It also allowed him to gently rub the mound of his unborn child. After so many children, he still thrilled at the hope and wonder of new life.

The little fox still tried to squirm out of Inuyasha's grip. "Hmm, she moves like a dog, maybe 'puppy'?" Kikyo's face scrunched up in disgust, "But, she's NOT a dog. That would be insulting!" Everyone wondered for a minute if the priestess thought the girl would be insulted to be called a dog, or if dogs would be insulted to have her identified as one of them. Their resident half-dog offered his thought. "Like she'd know the difference. She probably won't even come if we called her. How about 'kuro'?"

Miroku tried to hide his snicker behind adjusting Sango's hair, "'Black'? That's creative!" Golden eyes pinned the snickering monk with a glare, "Well why not, you guys call me 'dog boy' and Shippo 'tail.'" Miroku had to look thoughtful and give him credit for sound reasoning, "Okay, good point. Well, we'll keep that as a possibility."

"Yea, a last resort." Shippo sneered from Inuyasha's lap. Obviously, the fox had forgotten his precarious position within striking range of the volatile half-demon. A brief instructional pounding ensued.

"Well, she's little, so why not 'kinshou.'" Sango suggested. Kikyo smiled and looked over at the other woman in the group. "Hmm, that has potential." It had been a long time since the resurrection of the priestess, and all hard feelings had since been put to rest.

Inuyasha looked up from his behavior modification of the smallest member of their group, "Hah, we should call her 'shuuki'! She sure smells awful.'" Everyone's faces frowned at the suggestion, but it was Kikyo who voiced their opinion, "'Stinky'? What kind of name is that for a girl!" Miroku whispered into Sango's ear, "And don't dogs like to roll in smelly things?" It earned him a happy giggle from his appreciative wife. It also earned him a deep scowl from across the porch. Miroku had learned over the years just how loud he could speak for it not to travel to the wildly, swiveling, white, puppy ears.

"Well, I think 'chikai' fits her too, if you don't like 'stinky.'" Inuyasha grumbled, languidly scratching his ear. Shippo rubbed the new knots on his hardening head and scoffed, "Yea, she might be 'short' to you, but she's still bigger than me and Kirara."

The women started getting into the spirit of the conversation, "Fine! How about 'arai' for 'wild'?" Sango suggested with a gleem in her eye. "How about 'kaishoku' for 'mess'?" Was Kikyo's contribution; a hint of amusement leaked into her voice. "What about 'tonsou' since she managed to 'escape' from her former owner?" Miroku even got into the spirit.

Of course, leave it to Inuyasha to suggest something outlandish. "What about 'futeki kuso'?" The half-demon looked proud of himself for that one, and even dropped Shippo as he waited for the praise he expected from the others at his creativeness.

Needless to say his comment was not taken well. All the faces on the porch scrunched in dismay as Sango voiced their thoughts, "Okay, Inuyasha, if you aren't going to be serious, you aren't going to participate. I refuse to call her 'tough shit.'"

The boy defended his position with a growl, "Well, she is ain't she? She managed to live with all that shit on her, and out in the woods, with no one to help her. I'd say she was one tough little shit." Miroku glanced at his friend's face and realized that his suggestion was simply a crude way of admitting his respect for the survival of the tiny woman in the other room. In an effort to sooth the ruffled feelings of all present, Miroku commented, "Okay, well, there was some thought behind that suggestion, so I guess we can continue."

Shippo was all excited. He had never participated in any of the naming discussions for Sango's and Miroku's children. Although, he wasn't old enough to truly have any say in the matter, it made him feel grown-up that this group allowed him to participate. He suggested, "What about 'furasshu'? She was quick as a 'flash' when Inuyasha spooked her."

Miroku chuckled at the memory of the girl sprinting away from them on all fours. It brought up another memory of that event, "We could always call her 'rafu' since she arrived relatively naked." Sango shifted forward enough that she could turn slightly, and slapped him on the arm. Considering the beatings he used to receive before they married, this was not even a love tap. Still, he grinned his same old lecherous grin which was truly just a reflection of the pleasure he derived from making her blush. Sango snorted, "You pervert. Only you would think to call her something like that. I'd think she'd be better off if we just called her puppy versus 'naked woman'"

After a good giggle, the discussion continued with Kikyo suggesting something a little more philosophical, "How about 'shin'yuu'? I hope she'll become our 'close friend' after all of this." Inuyasha grunted and commented under his breath, "How do we know she'll even stick around after she's better?"

Sango's eyes sparkled as she thought of another name, "We could call her 'kashin' for 'lucky day' or 'kisshou' for 'lucky omen'? I always liked Kishou. My Aunt named her first daughter that name." Miroku looked at his wife and wondered why they had never named one of their own children such a fortuitous name. Inuyasha had to comment on that suggestion too. "Huh? You thinkin we're gonna be lucky for finding her?" His head cocked to the side in confusion. Sango smiled indulgently and explained, "No, Inuyasha, I think she's the lucky one that Sesshomaru found her!" A silent moment followed that suggestion as all those on the porch pondered the future that had awaited the girl if Sesshomaru had not found her.

To break the morbid thoughts and quiet, Miroku started the suggestions again, "We could just call her 'rakki' for 'lucky' but it doesn't have as nice a ring to it as 'kisshou'" Inuyasha complained, "Okay, now that REALLY sounds like you are calling a dog. 'Here Lucky! Come here girl! Fetch the stick, Lucky!'" he slapped his leg in an imitation of calling said dog. "I thought we decided we weren't going to treat her like a dog? Hmph, I still like 'kuro' or 'shuuki'" Kikyo tried to withhold her laughter at the image of a half-dog calling a dog and managed a straight face as she suggested, "What about 'maigo' or 'norainu'? She's definitely a stray; it's just not clear if she's a stray child or stray dog."

Shippo spoke up with a maturity that surprised the group from time to time, "Yea, but if she sticks around a while, she wouldn't be a stray anymore. And wouldn't that just remind her of her past?" He stood and walked to the doorway where he could just see the form of the sleeping girl in the back room. His little voice quieted a bit in deep thought, "What about 'hitoshii' since she looks 'similar' to 'her'?"

Inuyasha bristled and twitched in agitation, "Hell, Shippo, that'd be like calling her a copy. And, well… that was never… a good thing to say… in the past… yea." His voice drifted away as his thoughts turned to a different subject. No one there doubted that he was remembering Kagome.

"This Sesshomaru will call her 'otome'." The cool, disinterested voice floated over the group to announce the return of the white demon lord. The relative calm of the discussion fled as the group tensed involuntarily. Even though there had not been any true hard feelings between the brothers in decades, the reaction to the strong demonic aura could not be helped after all these years of fighting demons.

Miroku smiled his best diplomatic smile and poked a bit of fun at the fearsome demon, "I assume you mean that as in 'girl' or 'virgin' or 'maiden' and not as 'daughter'." The approaching demon didn't even deign to comment on the ridiculous remark. He merely strode arrogantly towards the porch.

Inuyasha just couldn't leave it alone though. He always wanted the last word when it came to Sesshomaru, "Hell, at least our suggestions were creative. 'Girl'! What crap! 'Black' is better than 'girl'!"

Shippo still stood at the doorway, one hand on the door frame, "What about that name? I mean, I can tell too, even though my nose isn't as good as yours, Inuyasha. I can smell it just like you two can. Somehow, she's got 'her' smell." The little fox's face spoke of the loneliness had had suffered since the disappearance of their priestess from the future. He had managed, but it had been hard at first.

Just the thought of the suggestion sent Inuyasha into a rage. He stood, towering over the small fox and shook, "NO! I'll agree with Sesshomaru to call her 'otome' before I call that thing 'her' name." No one present wanted to tease their friend over actually admitting to agree with the demon lord. Kagome was always a touchy subject. Even this many years later, he would still not tell them of the events in the Meidou.

Miroku lifted a hand in a calming gesture and motioned towards the demon that was now at the base of the porch steps. "Well, Lord Sesshomaru has returned hopefully with a solution, so I'll write down all these suggestions and we can talk some more tomorrow. Maybe the perfect name will come to us when we're not thinking about it."

OooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

AN: Here is a recap of the name suggestions so far. If you have any suggestions of your own, please feel free to forward them along with their meaning. You may also vote for your favorites. I can't say 100 percent that I'll go along with the majority (fanfiction is not a democracy) but it might sway me if I'm stuck between two good choices.

Chibi - Runt Inuyasha

Gaki - Brat Inuyasha

Koinu - Puppy Shippo

Kuro – Black Inuyasha

Kinshou – Little Sango

Shuuki – Stink Inuyasha

Chikai – Shorty Inuyasha

Arai – Wild Sango

Kaishoku – Mess Kikyo

Tonsou – Escape Miroku

Futeki Kuso – Tough shit Inuyasha

Furasshu – Flash Shippo

Rafu – Naked woman Miroku

Shin'yuu – Close friend Kikyo

Kashin – Lucky Day Sango

Kisshou – Lucky Omen Sango

Rakki – Lucky Miroku

Otome – Girl/Virgin/Maiden/Daughter Sesshomaru

Maigo – Stray child Kikyo

Norainu – Stray dog Kikyo

Hitoshii – Similar Shippo

"her name" Shippo


	14. Chapter 14 Is it Safe

Chapter 14

Sesshomaru stopped at the edge of the stairs and scanned the group. Once satisfied that they had not proceeded without him, he scoffed at his brother. "Truly, Inuyasha, one would think you would keep better control over your retainers." Inuyasha's face scrunched into a 'huh' look as he tried to figure out what the overbearing demon was implying.

After a moment of silence, a deep voice floated out of nowhere. "Master Inuyasha. It is wonderful to see you in good health. It has been too long since you called on your faithful servant. Perhaps you could convince Lord Sesshomaru to release me?" The boy's face smoothed out into a snide grin, "Old Man Myoga. I'm surprised you're still alive. Still running away from trouble? Oh, wait. Trouble came and found you this time, huh?"

Sesshomaru held out his right arm so everyone could see the little flea demon that dangled precariously between the claws on his hand. The demon lord looked down his nose at the speck and announced, "You will enter the lock on the collar and ascertain if there is any danger in its removal. What better sacrifice could a retainer hope to make for his 'master'?" With a flick of his regal wrist, the tiny demon flew across the space between brothers.

An indignant sputtering accompanied the flight of the flea. "What do you mean by sacrifice? I have served this family since the time of you esteemed father. I would do anything Master Inuyasha commands," then the voice lowered in volume considerably, "within reason." In three hops, the bug landed on the girl's face and commented, "But I can't do much on an empty stomach." A loud slurping noise was heard.

Inuyasha rushed the flea, indignation dripped from his voice, "HEY! Leave her alone. No one said you could get a free meal out of this!" But before the half-demon reached him, a dirty hand came up and slapped the flea, sending it into the wall.

The flattened flea fluttered down from the wall as he murmured in pleasure, "Ah, such a rich, delectable blood. I haven't tasted the like in decades. Is this person somehow related to Lady Kagome?" The little flea popped back into shape and rubbed a tiny hand against his tiny chin. "Hmm, there is a distinct difference in the flavor. I detect a hint of a demonic bouquet; definitely canine, but too faint to determine."

The room quieted a moment before Inuyasha grumbled over to his retainer. "Look you old fraud. Just stick your head in the lock of that collar and see if there are any problems." The old flea once again hopped over to the girl, and wiggled his way under her hair and around to the back of the collar. His muffled voice commented as he went. "My goodness! This is an old collar. It's a wonder is hasn't rusted right off this girl. I assume you want me to search for a secret triggering device."

Miroku folded his arms into his sleeves in his best "wise-man" pose and asked, "So, you've heard the stories of collars that killed their wearers if tampered with? I had hoped it was only a rumor created to frighten run away slaves."

Myoga's voice echoed like he was in a cave, "I have heard the stories, though I have never had the opportunity to confirm their existence. My travels do not take me to the realms of wealthy slave owners. Though, I can say, by the condition of this collar, her owner was indeed wealthy. I have never seen such exquisite craftsmanship! The locking mechanism is so precise. Did Totosai forge this?"

Sango gasped, "I thought Totosai only forged weapons? Why would anyone commission him to make something as mundane as a slave collar?"

Myoga reemerged from the girl's hair to land on the metal corset. He sat and folded his many arms over his abdomen and closed his eyes. If there was anything in this life that he loved, besides a good meal, it was sharing his vast knowledge (or just his opinion) with others. "Totosai's skills with metal are legendary and a wealthy demon would want the best. I assume that this girl was unique in some way that her owner went to such great lengths to protect his property."

Inuyasha huffed, "Skip the lecture and just tell us what we want to know."

The flea scowled at his master and then resumed his lecture position. "As far as I can tell, this collar does house a tamper-proof feature. There is a chamber for what I can only assume is a toxin to be injected into her neck." Those assembled stiffened at the thoughts of not being able to remove the cursed metal. Then Myoga continued, "Luckily, the collar was not built to withstand exposure to the elements. It appears that the inner workings of the collar have rusted solid. I couldn't even reach some areas because the rust had eaten away the metal and flakes are jammed into the gears and pockets."

A relieved smile broke out on Kikyo's face as she summarized the long-winded flea's speech. "So, we should have no problem removing the collar?"

The flea opened his eyes and turned to the priestess, "Yes, I believe that's what I just said. Now, if you'll excuse me, I spotted some tasty village girls on the way in that require a closer inspection."


	15. Chapter 15 Good Taste

Chapter 15

The removal of the collar was a gruesome task. Kikyo kept a red hot poker in the fire in the event they needed to cauterize a major artery in her neck. She had to have Inuyasha actually cut the strip of metal into eight pieces so they could work in smaller sections. The girl's breathing improved greatly after the first cut of the collar.

The task was complicated by Sango's need to remove her self to go outside and retch. At those times, Inuyasha tried to be helpful, but the smell made him just as sick as Sango. Miroku was actually handy to have around, even though he knew almost nothing of healing. He held the bandages to the finished areas while Kikyo scraped at the next part.

It took nearly half the afternoon to complete the horrific task. When they were done, a layer of ointment was soothed over the open wound and they gently wrapped it with a layer of bandages. There were high hopes that the gash would heal on its own without the need for any cauterization. If that happened, the scarring would be less than if they had to apply red hot metal to seal her flesh.

No one wanted to even contemplate the task of removing the metal corset. From the lack of the skin under the collar, it was reasonable to expect a similar lack of skin under the armor. Kikyo and Miroku fretted and planned over dinner on the best way to proceed. Kikyo knew if they tried to remove the entire thing at once, the girl would most likely perish. Since the constriction would be relieved with the first slice down the back of the metal, there would not be as urgent a need to remove the whole thing. If they could work a section at a time, it would give the areas a time to heal before they exposed a new surface. So, it was decided that the next morning, they would make the multiple slices down the armor, like they had done the collar. This would allow her to breathe freely, and maybe the sections would work their way off over time. If not, they would plan to remove a section per week, or something like that.

Sesshomaru listened from his position outside of the compound. It sounded like a prudent plan. They had already asked him for his assistance in the procedure, since his claws and control were more precise. His reflexes were also faster than his brother's should there be any need to remove his razor sharp claws from the girl's body.

The next morning, they were all shocked to see a pair of weary eyes staring at them when they entered Kikyo's hut. The priestess had been out to get breakfast and some broth for the girl and had missed her waking. Sesshomaru was shocked to notice that her eyes were almost as gold as Inuyasha's. Did this reflect her demon heritage?

Kikyo realized this would be a problem to proceed with the girl awake. There was bound to be pain during the cutting of the corset. Still, for her to lead a normal life, it needed to be done. She quickly gathered some herbs to brew a sedating tea to knock the girl out again.

While the tea was steeping, Miroku approached the girl with a smile on his face. As before, he noticed her body tense at his closeness. So he stopped. With a head motion, he gestured for Sango to move towards the girl. She did not show the same discomfort with the women. As a further experiment, he whispered for Inuyasha to move closer. That got the greatest reaction of all. Outright panic crossed the pale face. Perhaps she remembered the incident with Inuyasha growling at her on the first day. Or, maybe she sensed his demonic nature.

Sesshomaru watched the monk's experiment and wondered the same thing. So, to clarify the girl's reactions, the demon lord advanced towards the girl. She had the exact opposite reaction to Sesshomaru from Inuyasha. She seemed to relax so much it looked as if she was about to drift off to sleep.

The demon even went so far as to cross his legs and sit directly beside the girl. He reached out his right arm and actually touched her face. The little thing moved into his touch and closed her eyes with a sigh. How odd.

Inuyasha felt insulted. Why did she only freak out over him? So, to annoy his brother he remarked, "Gee, Sesshomaru. Looks like you've made a friend."

But Sesshomaru did not rise to the baiting. He replied coolly, "She obviously has good taste."


	16. Chapter 16 If Only

Chapter 16 If Only

Chapter 16 If Only

It was nearly time for the noon meal when the difficult procedure was over. Sesshomaru had to concentrate the entire time to keep his slices deep enough to sever the metal, yet shallow enough not to inflict further injury on the fragile skin below. It would have been fine if it had not been performed on a moving object. At least, her breathing was regular enough not to give him too many problems.

He was relieved that his part of this operation was over, because the putrid smell was annoying his sensitive nose. Also, he had no desire to peel metal away from muscle and flesh. He had liquefied enough bodies to know how to effectively kill them, but that did not mean he wanted to handle those same parts. That was better left to those with gentle, caring hands like the priestess.

For just a moment, his mind flashed to an image of Kagome tending and healing anyone and everyone. It had always amazed him that she would even help those annoying ones like Jakken. Of course, that was usually after she had clobbered him for some prejudiced remark about her kind.

With a determined shake of his head, the demon lord decided not to think about the missing anymore. He needed some action and knew he would find many a wayward demon on his lands that needed punishing. These days, he didn't automatically kill every lesser demon that approached him. Some, he just wounded severely so they would learn a lesson. He had realized, after talking to Kagome, that he would soon run out of opponents if he kept exterminating them at the rate he was. Life would simply be too boring if that happened, so he altered his routine just slightly. He intended to make his rounds and scare as many low class demons as he could. Maybe there would be a challenge among them that he would enjoy exterminating. His brow wrinkled a bit as he wondered, "Maybe this Sesshomaru should join the demon-exterminator village since that is my normal pastime." But then, he would have to cease killing humans also, and no one ordered this Sesshomaru. With a smirk, the great demon left the area.

The girl roused early the next morning in a great deal of pain. Kikyo had slept close by and heard the pitiful sounds coming from her patient. The pain numbing tea had been prepared since last night, and it was no problem to spoon it down the girl's throat. The fever that they had expected arrived that morning also. That was a little harder to deal with. As her temperature spiked, the pitiful girl seemed to hallucinate and startle at things no one else could see.

The plan to remove the metal corset one section at a time had a sinister flaw. Every time the girl inhaled deeply, the area between the cut sections expanded, exposing the raw skin. By the time the afternoon rolled around, the four had about decided that they just needed to remove the sections all at once to get it over with. It couldn't possibly hurt any worse than the pain she was in now.

Another dose of sedative tea was administered to the restless girl before they began work on scraping off the other sections of metal. The group worked in pairs so they could proceed twice as quickly. Sango and Inuyasha bravely fought against their nausea while Miroku and Kikyo performed the actual removal. The group worked late into the night to complete their work before the sedative wore off.

The next morning, Sesshomaru returned to find the pitiful girl wrapped in medicine laced bandages from her crotch to her neck. He snorted at the thought that she truly had no need of clothing with as little skin as was visible. Also, his brother and his friends were scattered about the room in different positions, all quite asleep.

He took this unprecedented opportunity to rest beside the girl and observed her closely. She really did resemble the deceased Kagome; the same shaped face; the same delicate nose. The same full mouth; although, he had rarely seen it closed. The differences were less physical and more internal; there were of course, the eyes. Kagome had possessed brown eyes while this creature's gaze was golden. The attitude was also different. Kagome had been fiery and dominant. This little creature was fearful and submissive, or at least as far as he could tell so far. It would be interesting to see how she behaved once she was fully healed.

His mind wandered back to the many encounters with the strange, little priestess from the future; Kagome. She had stood against great evil and triumphed, even with no training. She had fought a battle that was not even hers to fight. She had befriended those who were without friends or even redeeming qualities, or so it seemed to the demon lord. She had been intelligent though still childish and innocent. Her eyes shone with joy over simple things and spoke of great sorrow when not guarded.

He remembered the time he spent in the cave, learning of the contradictions of that small human while he healed. It seemed like a lifetime ago in his mind, and yet it was only a moment in his extremely long life. He had only just started his quest to find a way to extend the life of a human when she was suddenly gone. It felt like a failure and he didn't take well to failure. Even though he knew humans could be snuffed out like Mayflies, he had not been ready for her to go. There were times when he berated himself for not predicting Naraku's treachery before it was too late. If only he had moved to snatch the girl before she was drawn into the Meidou. If only he had accompanied his half-brother into the void instead of standing in a defensive position, waiting for Naraku to unleash his counter-attack. If only he had not been ruled by this habit of letting others live or die by their own deeds. He shook his head to clear them of such spiraling thoughts and returned his attention to the healing girl.

Speaking of healing, he noticed that she seemed to be uncomfortable, and suffering with a fever. The smell of infection still masked her scent, but it was not as pronounced since they had removed the constricting metal corset and cleaned all the flesh that was left beneath it.

He noticed the cursed metal plates of the corset in a heap in the corner of the hut and wondered what type of sick mind invented those things and thought them humane. Even animals were not bound in such horrible devices. He would expect to see something like that in a torture chamber owned by the late Naraku.

A small whine brought his attention back to the tiny woman beside him. He noticed the unfocused golden eyes were staring in his direction. Did she know he was there? Did she expect him to provide her comfort? Surely not.

The tiny creature made more whimpering noises that reminded Sesshomaru of a small puppy trying to communicate with its sire or dam. The monk had suggested she had been kept in a kennel. Was it possible she had been kept with dogs? To test this theory, Sesshomaru emitted a gentle, soothing growl like the wild dogs he had run with as a child.

The girl seemed to perk up a bit and yipped back in delight. Had she not felt so weak, he was sure she would have been wagging her non-existent tail.

Across the room, Inuyasha reacted to the canine communication in his sleep by whining a sound of submission similar to the one the girl had made. Just out of curiosity, Sesshomaru again made the gentle, soothing growl in the boy's direction. He received an almost identical yip back from his brother and glanced over to notice a slight smile on the sleeping face.

Sesshomaru would have laughed, if he were the type, to receive recognition of his dominance from both the 'puppies' in the room. He would never have thought that possible from his more-human-than-not half brother.


	17. Chapter 17 First Words

Chapter 17 First words

While Sesshomaru had been distracted with the response of his brother, the girl had turned ever so slightly in his direction. It appeared that she had tried to roll towards him, but the pain that movement created had stopped her. In fact, she was sweating profusely and tears were rolling from her squinted eyes. It had finally occurred to him, that no matter how she lay, she was laying on raw, open wounds. Since the corset circled her whole body, there was no relief in any position.

The demon lord growled out, "Priestess!" to bring Kikyo's attention to the fact that the patient was not only awake, but in extreme pain! That one command roused everyone from sleep and into action. Sango and Kikyo propped the woman up to allow her to drink the numbing tea while Inuyasha and Miroku hurried about getting the broth and herbs she would need. They worked quite well as a team, and Sesshomaru decided to stay in his place to not interfere with their preparations.

In a matter of moments, the girl seemed eased and issued a grateful bark of thanks. All faces turned towards the demon lord who merely nodded at the girl and explained, "It seems she was kept with dogs and understands some rudimentary dog language." All the faces staring at the demon went slack in disbelief. Inuyasha even went so far as to snort and curse.

The little confused girl searched the face of the dominant one in the hut and found nothing to worry about. With a little sigh, the golden eyes closed and she shifted a bit more towards the reclining demon lord.

Miroku and Kikyo discussed ways to help the girl heal. Kikyo noticed what Sesshomaru had noticed, that they needed to come up with something so the poor thing wasn't laying directly on her open wounds all the time. Sango suggested propping up her shoulder and hips with pillows so that her upper chest and back never touched the futon. Sango had found pillows helpful in her more advanced stages of pregnancy, when things didn't line up like they used to.

For some odd reason, no one in the group really felt like leaving the hut today. Unless there was some urgent matter, they stayed and chatted. Kikyo finally kicked everyone out around mid day so she could remove the soiled bandages and check the girl's wounds. Even Sesshomaru grudgingly left.

Kikyo did her best, but the wounds on her neck seemed to be getting worse. Two spots still bled heavily. In a few days they might have to pull the edges together and try to seal them with the hot iron. Unfortunately, there was no such procedure they could perform on her upper torso. Only time would tell if any skin regenerated in that area.

After applying new bandages, Sango returned to the room to help spoon feed the broth to their hungry patient. This was the first time the girl seemed to realize that she could swallow without restriction. A probing hand reached up to search for the collar, only to find soft cloth. The golden eyes widened in shock as the hand trailed down to her chest. Not finding any metal their either, the hand snaked down to the last place. It seemed to register and the little body began to quake in fear. Eyes darted around the room searching for something that they presumed was the missing slave trappings. Very loud whimpers of distress escaped the girl.

Inuyasha and Sesshomaru immediately returned to the room, searching for the danger. The women noticed this and wondered if this were some uncontrollable, instinctual response to the panic of the little one. Kikyo had seen birds do something similar when a baby bird started letting out panicked chirps. Unrelated species of birds would swoop in and try to distract the predator.

Finding nothing but the three women, the dog brothers relaxed. Sesshomaru returned to his seat beside his upset foundling and tried to converse with her. It wasn't an exact conversation like humans held, since the girl was woefully lacking in vocabulary. She could convey the very basics, like a newborn pup that was just learning.

He picked up on 'fear' and 'hurt' and 'gone.' So, being the intelligent being he was, he made some assumptions and studied her body language. From the placement of her hand on her chest, he figured she was afraid because of the missing corset and collar. How anyone could miss those torture devices was beyond him. But she had probably never known any different, and they felt like they were apart of her, like his fur was to him.


	18. Chapter 18 Time passed

Chapter 18 Time passed

Time passed and the girl worsened and improved in fits. One day she would awaken with clear, curious eyes, and the next day, they would be clouded with pain and fever. Kikyo tended to her needs using all the herbs at her disposal. There were tense nights when it seemed that the injuries were too extensive and the small girl would perish before sunrise.

The group had come to the unspoken decision to call the girl "Otome" which ironically meant "girl." Still, Inuyasha seemed to prefer using the actual word "girl" instead. He refused to use the name his "hated half-brother" had chosen, yet it was mostly just out of spite. It still sounded like he was calling a dog when he said "girl" though.

Otome could not truly speak dog, so she could barely communicate with the group. Or maybe, it was just that Inuyasha, himself, could not speak dog. Sesshomaru was slightly better at understanding the girl, but he had "pressing matters" and only appeared every other day or so. It seemed that the nomadic demon lord had added the village to his patrol route. That left the group having to guess her needs rather like a mother does with a newborn babe.

Feeding the girl was difficult as her system was no longer acclimated to solid food. Their first attempt to offer her something other than broth was a disaster. Inuyasha complained for days after that the hut smelled like half eaten noodles and how it was a sin to waste good food. Considering how often Sango's delicate stomach rebelled over the first week, it was a wonder that the half-demon was not used to the smell by now.

Clothing was also a problem for the group. It was unseemly for the girl to remain dressed in only bandages from the hips up. No matter that Miroku was a happily married man; he was still a man, and a legendary pervert. Sango made it her personal mission to find something that Otome could wear, and would leave alone.

Every kimono that Sango procured seemed to annoy the girl's senses. She would pick at the sleeves and worry at the flowing material on her legs. Also, the openness of the collars of the formal kimonos seemed to leave the girl feeling exposed. Finally, in a fit of frustration, Sango ripped the sleeves off one black and green demon slayer outfit, and cut the legs to end at mid thigh. It was highly inappropriate for a chaste woman, but it was either that, or let the girl run around naked!

When Sango tried the outfit on the girl, the high closed collar of the outfit, and the snug fit seemed to actually soothe Otome. She did not pick at the material and the collar would eventually hide the gruesome scar that was sure to remain on the girl's neck. Maybe she would try adding a short kimono later to cover the indecent attire. Still, for now, it was a good solution. Her only concern was if the girl was house-broken.

Miroku fashioned some half gloves that would protect the skin on the backs of her knuckles from further damage as she ran around, assuming that she recovered. They were similar to the glove he still wore in remembrance of his dreaded wind tunnel, but they were made of leather and had fingers, but the tips were open to expose her claws. It had been a struggle to put them on her, but all it took was one firm growl from Inuyasha and she stopped picking at the strange material. Her eyes widened in fear but Inuyasha merely snorted and turned back to his work.

Inuyasha stayed close to the little hut for some unnamed reason. He did not discuss his attachment to the mostly silent girl, but everyone noticed. Miroku and Sango speculated that their friend felt a kinship with the girl who had grown up in a similar fashion to his own life. He had even unknowingly expressed his pride in her during the naming discussion when he said she had to be a 'tough little shit" to survive all she had survived, alone. If anyone knew how hard it was to survive demon infested woods as a child, it would be their dog-eared friend.

Or maybe it was just that she was so young? They had witnessed Inuyasha's tender, caring side with children during their shard-hunting days. It didn't matter if they were human, demon or half-demon. And in more recent years, the brash half-demon had grown even fonder of the small Sango and Miroku look-a-likes that the couple produced ever year or so. He fiercely protected the youngsters of the village and even helped the little ones when they were trying to learn something difficult. He might come across as brash and uncaring, but it was usually to motivate the slackers, or ground the dreamers.

Kikyo watched wistfully as the boy she had loved turned his eyes towards another. The twinge of jealousy hurt, but in her heart, she truly felt that it was what she deserved. How many times had she wrecked the chances of this boy to find love and acceptance in the arms of her reincarnation?

In her blind, hatred, she never accepted the fact that Kagome loving Inuyasha was the same as her loving Inuyasha. She had been part of the girl's soul for 15 years before the ogre witch had ripped her soul from its eternal haven. In essence, it was unavoidable for Kagome to fall for the dashing half-demon. The futuristic priestess had unconsciously demonstrated skills that only Kikyo possessed, so why wouldn't feelings linger as well.

Kikyo watched as the group congregated on her porch every morning to discuss important events, and wait for the possible arrival of the demon lord. Miroku dispensed justice to the squabbling villagers that petitioned for his judgment and Sango directed the troops that defended the compound. Kikyo tended to any illnesses that were brought to her attention, and Inuyasha did the things that only Inuyasha could do. Kikyo laughed at the irony that the shard-hunters had become the village "elders."

In truth, with the demise of Naraku, the group had become famous. Miroku and Inuyasha were hired by outside villages to destroy pesky demons. It wasn't much of a challenge, but it kept food on the table during the lean growing seasons. Mostly, the village was self-sufficient. Outside the great protecting walls of the compound were fields of crops that the villagers tended. Although, their little village was prosperous, it was no where near the size of Edo, or even the old demon-slayer village, for that matter.

Kikyo had noticed something strange about the "elders" of this village; they didn't look old! Of course, Inuyasha had not aged or matured in the twenty odd years since Naraku's demise, but neither had Sango or Miroku. The couple was nearing forty years old, and had not changed in appearance since the victory. Somehow, the normal human aging process had stopped for the monk and slayer. Maybe it was just uncommonly good genes inherited from their ancestors. Maybe it was something else, like the influence of the jewel shard Sango had once carried, or all the demons Miroku had absorbed into the wind tunnel? Still, it was not in the realm of the impossible yet, so she held her tongue about the subject. If they continued to retain their youthful appearances for a few more years, she would broach the subject at one of their gatherings.

Kikyo, on the other hand, had returned from the afterlife in a completely mortal body. The irony was not lost on her that she finally had what she had yearned for while she was a golem. And yet, she did not have Inuyasha. He had moved away from her emotionally. He still protected her and helped her when needed, but there was no pull there anymore. She wasn't his only friend anymore. He was not lost and lonely anymore. He had moved on and left her behind.

Still, she was grateful. She actually had the life of an almost normal woman that she had dreamed of as a child. When the odd sensation of loss overwhelmed her, it made her smile to realize that she had not truly lost Inuyasha. She would get to be with him again in the future, when her soul was reincarnated into Kagome's soul. Maybe she could change the cycle when next Kagome was thrust back into the past to awaken the boy pinned to a tree.

She was unclear as to why exactly she returned to life, and the group had spent many an after dinner discussion trying to answer this question. The most plausible answer was that somehow, someone had wished on the completed Shikon jewel and this was only an unexpected side effect. Thus, she watched over these friends as she aged as gracefully as possible.


	19. Chapter 19 Acknowledgment

Chapter 19 Acknowledgment

The brothers had decided to stop coddling the patient by responding to her every whimper in the hut. She was getting to the point where she should be able to move about without too much pain.

Finally, on the afternoon of the second week since she had arrived, the group heard some whining and shuffling coming from the hut. A moment later, the girl drug herself through the open doorway on her belly like a puppy that had been bad and was approaching its sire expecting punishment.

Her eyes flickered back and forth between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru as they seemed to ignore her. Both brothers were actually watching the girl out of the corner of their eyes. It was true, she seemed to know nothing about human interactions, and barely understood canine behavior. Her whimpers sounded pitiful as she slinked closer to the demon lord. She stopped just within reach of his arm and cringed, squinting her eyes. She seemed to truly expect him to strike her.

Not being able to take the pressure and strain of trying to obtain the alpha's approval, she shifted away from the demon and squirmed over towards Inuyasha. The boy looked down at the prostrated girl and had a hard time not seeing her as a pup. She acted, spoke and even smelled like a dog demon. He knew this must be hard for her, since she obviously remembered him growling at her the first day. Still, she neared him, staying as close to the floor as she could get. Then, when she was within reach of his arm, she rolled over slightly and exposed her belly, like a pup would.

Kikyo and Sango let out a girly, "Awww how cute." It was obvious they did not understand the consequence of the girl's actions.

Inuyasha was shocked that this girl was acknowledging him as her superior, and trying to earn his approval. He looked closely at the terrified, tense girl, and couldn't help but smile. He slowly reached out a hand and rubbed her belly like he would have any dog in that position. Yips of happiness escaped from the girl and she began squirming joyously on her back. In her puppy-like exuberance, the girl rolled over and jumped on the half-breed which started a hilarious game of tag.

The girl was quite fast, running about on all fours. She would leap up on Inuyasha, nip at some part of him, then run off, begging to be chased. The boy finally got serious and sped off after Otome. He scooped her up before she could react, and returned to the porch. With a commanding growl, he plopped her between where he had sat before, and his brother. The message was clear, play time was over. The adults had something to discuss.

Sesshomaru was amused at his brother's and the girl's antics. It was a good thing she sought acknowledgment from both of them, because there was no way he would ever play tag with her. It was undignified. Still, it was wonderful to see her healed enough that she could play. Once she was returned to the porch, he noticed that she once again crawled towards his hand. The little murmurs were endearing and he reached out to touch her head without even really thinking about it. A small sigh escaped the girl as she relaxed into sleep with his hand on her head. After a moment, she seemed to stir enough to stretch out her leg until it found Inuyasha's leg. Being in contact with both dog brothers, the girl drifted into a deep, restful sleep.


	20. Chapter 20 Outings

AN: To make up for the rather short last chapter, here are two combined scenes to sink your fangs into. But, remember, this story is going to have some short, drabble-type chapters between the longer ones. Some scenes are just cute all by themselves. (ex. This first one originally stopped at the splash.)

Chapter 20 Outings

Later that day, Sango waddled in and asked Kikyo, "Is she healed enough to go to the hot springs? I'm sure she can't feel very good with so much trash in her hair. I thought I might give her her first bath since I was headed there myself."

Kikyo looked at the girl thoughtfully and considered the benefits of exposing her healing skin to the mineral laden waters of the hot spring. A smile crept on her face, "That would probably be a wonderful idea."

With the priestess' approval, Sango turned to address the girl. "Hey, do you want to come with me to take a bath?" She stressed the word "bath." The girl looked at Kikyo for approval and received a nod and smile. The girl then looked for Inuyasha, who was peeking in the doorway. When he hummed in approval, the girl's eyes turned back to Sango. A series of happy yips erupted from the girl as she waggled her non-existent tail.

Sango grabbed an extra kimono and drying towel, and then headed out the door with a happy, yipping girl dancing about her on all fours. At times like these, no one could look on this girl as anything other than a puppy. Sango thought this as she watched the girl catch sight of Shippo already floating in the hot spring and took off running in that direction. Before Shippo even knew what happened, the girl launched herself off the bank and slammed into the water, creating a huge wave that splashed over the floating fox. The black head disappeared under the surface for a moment, and then reappeared as the girl doggy-paddled around the spluttering Shippo.

Sango simply laughed, thinking, "That's one way to wash her outfit." Then she set the bathing supplies down on the bank and disrobed. She cleaned herself as she let the two "children" play to their hearts' content. Finally, she called Shippo over and Otome came with him. To get the girl used to the idea, Sango started cleaning Shippo. Truly, the little fox was completely capable of washing himself, but he still enjoyed the attention.

The girl sat in the shallows and watched the pair with her head cocked to the side in confusion. Little by little, she eased closer until she slid her matted head under Sango's unoccupied hand. Sango smiled since her plan worked. Gently, she stroked the girl's hair and worked the debris and tangles out. It would take a long time, but the girl's eyes closed, signaling that she was enjoying the process. Shippo even joined in with the grooming of their new friend.

Sango couldn't believe all the junk that drifted out of her hair. It was a good thing that Inuyasha had shorn off most of the black tangles. There was no way she would have been able to work through the snarls if her hair still hung down to her knees. She looked at the blunt ends and decided to trim it up a bit when they returned to Kikyo's. A girl, even a wild one, wanted to look her best. At least, with it clean, her hair didn't stick out like a bush. Instead, the newly clean locks lay about her head, curling slightly as they dried. Sango was actually shocked at how shiny and glossy her hair looked in the sunshine.

As she worked, Sango made a rather startling discovery. Shippo turned to study Sango when she gasped. Buried beneath the layers of hair, she found two little, black, furry, pointed, elfin, ears. "What in the world?" Her ears were exactly the shape of Shippo's, Koga's and Sesshomaru's. "How can a human, or even a half-demon, have full-blooded, demon ears?"

Shippo peered around Sango's shoulder to stare at the oddity. He commented sagely, "Who knows. Nothing about this girl seems normal. So, why not?" Still, they had assumed she was human; mostly. If she had some demon blood in her, wouldn't she have ears on top of her head like Inuyasha? But then she remembered little Shiori, the half bat-demon girl with the barrier. She didn't have ears on the top of her head, but maybe that was because, bats were shaped differently?

Sango pushed the questions aside to bring up later as the group gathered on the porch for their evening discussions. Her current job was to clean this girl, and that included somehow removing the modified slayer outfit and water-logged bandages. Kikyo would have to reapply the medicinal herbs later.

Oddly enough, Otome stayed perfectly still while Sango removed the cloth from her body. Maybe, she had seen that the older girl and the fox had both done this and nothing bad happened. Maybe, she was just so relaxed, that she would allow anything. Either way, the lack of resistance was a nice surprise.

In moments, the trio were out of the water, naked as they day they were born. Sango winced at the visible proof that the girl was nothing but skin and bones. Still, she had survived.

The wounds on her torso stood out in stark contrast to the ghostly pale skin that covered the rest of her. Maybe she could heal enough that new unblemished skin would cover those areas. If she did truly have demon blood, that might be enough to speed the process. After all, Inuyasha could suffer the most grievous wounds, and have nary a scar to show for them a few days later.

Otome's first official outing, beyond the village gates, found the group working on clearing some stumps out of the north pasture extension to increase the growing area for the villagers' garden. She still had little stamina, but she tagged along when the group left the village gates. Shippo kept the slower pace of his new friend as the others walked ahead with the villagers.

A few minutes into the trip, Miroku heard the distressed call of the little fox. He glanced back to notice Otome, leaning heavily against a tree, panting desperately. Shippo patted her shoulder and offered encouragement. The monk returned to their sides, and gently bent to pick up the girl. Her eyes were wary, but she was too exhausted to protest.

He was shocked as how little she weighed. In his mind he had known she was under-weight for her height, but this was a tangible reminder. She couldn't weigh more than his eight year old. Shippo leapt onto his shoulder and hitched a ride to the work site. The whole trip, Miroku spoke comforting words to the girl about what they planned to do and why. He knew she didn't understand, but maybe the tone would help her relax.

Finally, the girl accepted this new situation and understood that this male was not a threat. With a deep sigh, she relaxed and closed her eyes to drift off to sleep. Miroku smiled down at her calm face and felt the warm stirrings in his heart of a Fatherly affection.

Once the monk reached the site, he found a nice patch of grass under a shade tree. It would be a perfect place to deposit the slumbering girl under the watchful eye of Shippo. The fox had grown in maturity, and was now responsible enough that the villagers trusted him to watch over their children. Even though, he occasionally regressed into his childish pranks, he would guard his new friend fiercely.

So, Miroku gently placed the girl on the ground and studied her a bit. She shifted at the transfer, but never opened her eyes. He brushed a wild, wavy hair off her cute face and realized again how much she resembled Kagome. How strange life was.

The group had worked diligently for hours until suddenly Inuyasha stiffened. All around him, his friends keyed in on the reaction and moved into defensive stances. Years of relying on the half-demon's senses had kept them all alive. Miroku withdrew his sutras, Sango prepared her short sword, Kikyo notched an arrow in her bow, and Shippo pulled out a charmed leaf.

Not knowing any better, Otome didn't pick up the tenseness in the air. She had woken some time ago. Even though she was physically drained, she was still curious and playful. She batted a small pill bug back and forth between her hands in the tall grass under the shade tree. When she couldn't get the fun-loving Shippo to play with her, she turned a confused head to peer at Inuyasha. A low growl was coming from their white-haired leader, and it made the hair on her neck bristle. The girl remembered the times this dominant male had growled at her and lowered herself to the ground, and slunk over to Shippo's side.

The little fox noticed the frightened posture of his friend, and carefully patted her reassuringly on the head, though he kept his eyes turned to Inuyasha. Shippo thought that it must be a demon, and a pretty big one to ruffle Inuyasha's fur like this. If there was going to be a fight, it was probably going to be bad.

Suddenly, a whirlwind of dust and debris left the edge of the forest and sped towards the group. Villagers scattered in panic at the approaching danger. Shippo almost laughed at the thought of this visitor causing such a stir. Beside him, Miroku and Sango both relaxed and sheathed their weapons.

A deep, laughing voice called from the storm, "Hey, dog-shit! How have you been?" The debris flew towards Inuyasha, as the form of Koga appeared as he skidded to a stop. The red-clad half demon growled even deeper as he shook the dirt and leaves from his body and bristled in anger. "I thought I told you not to come here unless you were dying? We don't need any mangy wolves tracking in fleas. You're NOT welcome here!"

Miroku could only shake his head at the scene. The two had almost had a . . . well, not exactly friendly relationship, but at least a grudging respect for each other, until the topic of Kagome's death had arisen. They had not been pushing too hard to find out the particulars of the young priestess' demise. But, the dumb wolf had blundered into the topic like he did everything else.

It was obvious to everyone in the group that Koga had never truly loved Kagome like Inuyasha had. Their rivalry had merely been a sport for the wolf. Kagome had called the blue-eyed male a "player" and had explained it clearly so the group understood. Koga talked a good game, but if any female actually were to agree, she was sure he would have tucked his tail between his legs, and made a super-swift exit. Whereas, Inuyasha didn't talk at all; he let his actions speak for him.

So, on that fateful day, the wolf had asked about the final battle with Naraku and the whereabouts of "his woman." Unlike other times, when Inuyasha had vehemently denied the possessive claims, this time he simply launched into a frenzied attack. The wolf's blue eyes nearly bugged out of his head as he had suddenly found a furious half-demon tearing at his throat. That was not the usual, predictable reactions they were used to. That was pure, frustration and fury.

Koga barely kept ahead of the slashing claws of his 'rival' and dodged the flying fists. Something was definitely wrong. Between the angry snarls, the group heard more details of Kagome's last moments than they had heard in the weeks since his return. He yelled about fighting the demons in the Shikon jewel. He raved about trying to reach Kagome. He shouted about seeing Naraku appear in the darkness. He screamed about seeing Kagome being tricked by the cursed jewel. Then the worst thing imaginable happened. Their brash, brave, course half-demon friend had cried. The strength drained out of him and he crumpled to the ground murmuring that he "couldn't save her", that he "couldn't protect her." The pain and regret had been so overwhelming to everyone in the group, that they converged on him and hugged him through their own sorrow. The wolf had simply stood, mouth agape, and then walked away.

To this day, Inuyasha hated the sight of the wolf, because it reminded him of his failure. It also reminded him that this mangy wolf had seen him at his lowest. The typical anger was mingled with shame.

On this day, the normal barbs were exchanged between the two males as the others went back to their work. Koga stood mere feet away from Inuyasha, with his hands on his hips and a saucy smirk on his face. Inuyasha wore a scowl and kept a hand on the hilt of his sword. There was no way this mangy wolf was going to get the best of him.

As the verbal sparring got more heated, and louder, Koga made a critical mistake. He took a threatening step towards Inuyasha. From the side closest to the group of villagers, a snarling, black blur barreled into the wolf's chest. Koga pitched backwards some fifteen feet with a shocked look on his face. When he skidded to a stop on his back, everyone turned to see a snarling, Otome sitting squarely on his chest. Her delicate hands were inches from his jugular vein and her fangs were bared and dripping.

Shippo shouted, "Otome! NO! Don't hurt him! He's a friend!" The little fox scrambled towards the scene in hopes of removing the girl from the wolf before she got hurt. She had only been up and about for a few days now. Kikyo would kill them if the girl reopened her wounds.

Miroku also moved quickly towards the downed wolf. If he had to, he would resort to placing a sealing sutra on the girl so she couldn't move. He only hoped that Koga wouldn't take an angry swipe at her.

Inuyasha stood in shock as he watched the girl defend him. It was ludicrous. She could barely walk out of the hut today, and here she was, taking down a full-grown demon. All of a sudden, the scene struck him as hilarious. He, Inuyasha, the defender of the village, was being defended by a near invalid.

The half-demon tried his hardest to maintain his composure so he could taunt the wolf, but it was just too much. He made choking sounds. These grew into coughing sounds. Finally, he just couldn't contain his mirth any longer, and broke out into a full, hearty laughter.

On the ground, Koga looked into the angry eyes of a very disturbed female. For all intents and purposes, he was pinned under her slight weight. If he moved even an inch, his life blood would be spilled on the forest floor. Worst of all, he was pinned in a completely submissive posture. And that ignorant half-breed didn't do anything but laugh.

In an attempt to anger the half-dog into action, Koga taunted, "So, Dog-breath, you now have to get little girls to fight your battles?" He hoped it was enough to cause the dog to order the girl to stand down and resume their predictable fight, but he was wrong. All that happened was that Inuyasha laughed harder. He chortled, "The great lone wolf, brought down by a girl that can barely walk! This is rich!"

Koga's blue eyes widened to enormous proportions. The girl could barely walk? How could that be true when she practically flew into his chest? He looked closely at the girl and noticed bandages peeking out of the strange black outfit. He sniffed, and could definitely smell blood; old and new. Then, a familiar scent registered in his brain. In a gasp, he choked, "Kagome?"

The group went still at the exclamation. Even Inuyasha's laughter died instantaneously. The girl stopped growling and tilted her head in confusion.

Koga registered the similarities between this girl and the woman he had once claimed. The face was almost identical, except for the fangs and pointy black ears. Again, he sniffed now that the shock was fading. Kagome's gentle scent was there, but it was different. This creature that remained sitting on his chest smelled more like a half-demon than a full human, but not completely. It was a strange mixture of scents that he couldn't decipher.

Inuyasha had regained his composure, and walked over towards the downed wolf. In a forceful voice he commanded, "Otome, come here." To that he added, "You don't want to bite that flea bag. He would just make you sick again." His heart warmed as he watched the little black-mane turn until her clear golden eyes searched his. Never did she remove her claws from their proximity to their target. He saw the realization enter her eyes that he no longer radiated anger. Her tense body relaxed and she removed her claw from Koga's neck.

Now that the claws no longer threatened his neck, Koga leapt up from the ground and unseated the unsuspecting girl. Otome sprawled in a heap at the wolf's feet and whimpered in pain. Koga moved towards the girl, but found Tetsusaiga pointed under his chin. Inuyasha's voice was deep and black, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Koga relaxed and set his foot back on the ground. The transformed sword was replaced back at the dog demon's hip. Between them, the girl shifted about and righted herself onto her hands and knees. Koga looked down, "What the hell is she? Why does she smell like Kagome and yet . . . not?"

Miroku stepped up to prevent any further attacks. "We do not know. She was found almost dead in the woods and brought to us for attention. She seemed to be an escaped pet and we have been tending to her for weeks."

Shippo walked up and scratched the girl behind the ear in a comforting gesture. While the adults discussed the situation, he played with her like always. He might look like a child, but he had lived many decades and knew when to be silent. The fox watched in amusement as the girl moved carefully over to the wolf's leg. She sniffed it daintily, and sneezed. The face she made had the fox holding his hands over his mouth not to snicker. Apparently, the girl thought the wolf stunk. He had to agree. Apparently, wolves were afraid of water and soap.

Then, Shippo's eyes grew wide as he saw what was about to happen. He could have stopped it if he had wanted to, but it was just too perfect. He only held his mouth harder to keep quiet.

Inuyasha and Miroku were having a heated discussion with Koga, when the wolf shouted and jumped back. "What the hell?!" He looked down at himself and yelled even louder, "SHE PEE-ED ON MY FOOT!!" The group looked down to see a wet spot on the wolf's leggings on the leg that he shook violently. There between them was Otome, looking smugly satisfied as she turned away from the wolf, and kicked grass at him. Shippo commented, "I guess she didn't like the way you smelled." Then he fell over hiccupping with giggles.

Everyone, except Koga, collapsed into uncontrollable laughter. Inuyasha was, for once, glad that the little girl wasn't quite house-broken yet. He reached down and patted her black mane, "Good girl." Heck, for this amusement, he would even personally wash her soiled clothes.


	21. Chapter 21 For the Best

Chapter 21 For the best

Chapter 21 For the best

Miroku and Sango tried their best to hide their amusement. Truly, it was just too ironic. Before the porch, in the shade of the fence, Inuyasha grumbled for the millionth time. Miroku called out encouragement, "Inuyasha, you know it's for the best. One can not have an unruly pup constantly underfoot."

The half demon glared at the monk and snorted. "How the hell am I supposed to do this? I've never taught anyone anything! We need to bring old Kaede up here for this."

The girl simply frolicked about the male and nipped at his hands to get his attention. Since she had mostly healed, it was clear to everyone that she wanted to play most of the time. Normally that wasn't a problem, but everyone had their limits. She darted off to find a good sized stick and pranced back to present it to her superior.

Kikyo shifted from her perch in the doorway to comment on the event. Her voice was steady and calm, but a hint of amusement leaked in, "Come now, Inuyasha. You have more experience with this than any other person in this province. It should be no problem to pass on your knowledge."

Having had enough of being the butt of the joke, Inuyasha issued a commanding bark to get the girl's attention. She dropped the juicy stick and sped over to his side, wagging hysterically. A lopsided grin ghosted over the boy's face. She was just so darned cute when she was eager about something. Her face really resembled Kagome in that moment, just a lot closer to the ground.

He finally cleared the smile and stared directly in her golden eyes. She tilted her head to the side as if to say, "What?" With an uncomfortable clearing of his throat, the half demon made a hand motion to explain what he wanted and ordered, "sit!"

To his shock, the girl's rump hit the ground immediately. Titters of laughter echoed from the porch and he looked at his friends. A huge toothy grin broke his face as he commented, "Keh, I always wanted to try that on someone else."


	22. Chapter 22 Human Weakness

AN: Just thought I'd play with what Otome would look like in her slayer outfit with a face like Kagome's. Take out the spaces in the link below and tell me what you think. I'm not much of a computer artist, but it's fun to manipulate existing manga images. If anyone wants to revamp this, be my guest.

http /adsvlawyer. deviantart. com/ art/ Happily-Ever-After-Never-Lasts- 95926425

Chapter 22 – Human weakness

Something tickled at Inuyasha's mind for the past few days. A thought hovered just beyond his consciousness. There was something important that he was forgetting. Every time he looked at Otome, he had this nagging feeling.

It wasn't until the night of the new moon approached that he finally realized what he had forgotten. His human night! It wasn't that he forgot about his own night of weakness, but the approach triggered the thought "Does Otome have a night of weakness?" She had been with them for two and a half weeks. If she was truly a half-demon, like she smelled, then she would also have a night of weakness. He only hoped that it didn't coincide with his own night, because then he wouldn't be able to protect her when she was even weaker.

The next day found Inuyasha impatiently waiting on the porch for the others to arrive. It was obvious that he was agitated. Miroku was the first to ask him what was wrong.

Inuyasha blurted out, "Well, if Otome's a true half-demon, then wouldn't she have a night of weakness?" Everyone thought very carefully before responding. It was a touchy subject for their friend, who hated to admit that he had ANY weaknesses.

Miroku pondered, "That could be true. As far as we know, all half demons have that time. We should watch her more closely for the next twelve days. The moon cycle will have come full circle by then, and if nothing happens, then it probably won't."

Shippo added his thoughts. "But, we don't really know if she's a half-demon. I mean, she's got ears like mine. And she doesn't really smell like a half-demon.

Kikyo commented as she gracefully folded her legs under her on the porch, "We shall have to take turns staying awake at night, then. It wouldn't do for her to change and none of us know it. It might also be dangerous, since her wounds are still not completely healed. I don't know how much her healing has been aided by any demon blood she might possess. The loss of it might cause problems."

Sango gestured to herself and Miroku, "It won't be any hardship on us, because we stay up the whole night with Inuyasha on his night. We'll just sleep late and stay up for a few additional days."

Miroku frowned, "Sweet Sango, you need your rest; especially now." His hand snaked around her to gently caress her swollen belly. "I don't want you pushing yourself. Inuyasha and I will be fine keeping watch." Seeing the defiant attitude creep into his wife's eyes, Miroku turned on the charm, "Surely you aren't saying that you don't trust me to protect our friends. I know you are more than capable; I simply want you to trust me and to make sure you get your rest. Think about our child. Is that so much to ask?"

Sango could do nothing but back down and acquiesce to her husband's request. She would never let it be said that she did anything unnecessary that would harm their unborn child. Still, she was torn between protecting friends and protecting family.

So, the men set up a schedule to watch over the village and the girl. Secretly, Inuyasha had mentioned this to his half-brother on his last pass through the village, and weaseled a promise of assistance from the older demon. It couldn't hurt to have a back-up demon in case of trouble.

It was two days after Inuyasha's human night that Kikyo scrambled out of her hut. It was nearing twilight as she searched in the dying light for the girl. In the beginning stages of panic, she called out for Inuyasha.

The boy appeared almost as if by magic and asked what was wrong. Kikyo kept moving around the outbuildings by the hut as she stressed, "I can't find Otome anywhere. You know how much she likes to wander and play during the day, but she always scurries back to my hut before it gets dark. I haven't seen her since lunch, and I'm worried."

Inuyasha swung Kikyo up onto his back as he sprinted off towards the area where Shippo watched the village children each day. "I bet she just got distracted playing with Shippo and the kids. She's probably waiting for us to come get her." It had happened once before. She had stayed too long because she was having so much fun, and it had gotten dark. It seemed that the girl was terrified of the dark. They had found her huddled against the outside of a well lit hut, shivering and scanning the shadows with wild eyes. Upon sighting them, she had launched herself into Inuyasha's chest and whimpered like a terrified puppy, which, essentially, she was.

But, they didn't find her in the play area. Shippo had not seen the girl all day, which was quite out of character for her. Inuyasha wished he could have tracked her, but her scent was all over the village. She did enjoy wandering about and greeting all the inhabitants. Shippo promised to check the south side of the village, while Inuyasha headed to the north side and the main gate.

Once there, Inuyasha questioned the guards on if they had seen Otome that day. The older one, Hiroku, said he had seen her watching the goings and comings of the gate, but had not actually seen her leave. Of course, there had been many merchants entering that day that had distracted him, and it was possible she had slipped out when they weren't looking.

Inuyasha deposited Kikyo back at her hut with orders to stay there, in case the girl returned on her own, then he headed towards the gate to investigate. The larger gate had already been closed for the night, so he slipped out through the door. Crouched with his nose close to the ground, Inuyasha sniffed around for her unique, Kagome-like scent.

Over at the far side, he picked up traces of the girl, but it wasn't quite right. Still, this was something to work with. As he stood to make his way into the forest on her trail, Sesshomaru appeared like a silent fog beside him. The demon lord didn't have to speak a word to get his question across. His eyes conveyed, 'What is happening?'

For only a moment, Inuyasha wondered if having to always guess what Otome needed or wanted had heightened his ability to read body language. Then he shook off the thought and moved towards the woods. "Otome is missing; has been since about noon."

Sesshomaru watched his brother, and sniffed to locate the unique scent of the girl. He knew his sense of smell was several times better than the boy's, but pride would prevent him from asking for help. Instead, the demon lord quickened his pace to move just slightly in front of the half-demon. Together, they tracked the shifting scent.

Deep in the growing night, they came to a gnarled, half rotted tree. There a pungent weed grew in wild patches. No other smell could compete with the stench. Respect lit Sesshomaru's eyes as he realized this was the scent that had eclipsed the human smell on the girl when he found her. For being so young, she had found a way to hide her most telling feature.

Sesshomaru looked at his brother and wondered how any half-demons survived. A dozen times a year, they were as vulnerable as pups and as enticing to demons as an easy snack. One wrong move and they were no more. His mind drifted to a discussion he held with Kagome on half-demon life spans and breeding ability. He had thought it just a perverse curiosity at the time. It occurred to him now that the girl had been thinking about Inuyasha's future. With this potentially fatal flaw, it was a miracle that the boy had lived as long as he had, especially with no guardian.

Inuyasha slowly and quietly crawled up the side of the tree, and peered in the rotten hole formed by the junction of two branches. His voice called down, "Here girl. It's ok. Come on. Let's go home where it's safe." When nothing happened, he tried again, "No one will hurt you. Come on." This time a quiet whimper echoed up from the tree trunk.

Inuyasha laughed a bit and smirked, "What? Did you get yourself stuck?" Then, the boy's upper half disappeared into the great maw of the tree. Scuffling noises echoed about the scene, then cursing. "Damn girl! Don't bite me! I'm here to help you! Sit still… wait… don't….SHIT!" The growl that followed hushed all the nearby wildlife.

Sesshomaru just couldn't help himself anymore, "Having trouble with the pup? Truly, even one as lacking in skills as you should be able to handle the situation." He was rewarded with a scathing remark as to his parentage and his sexual preference, which only made the moment funnier. Life had simply gotten too boring lately.

In a flurry of rotten bark and leaves, the boy shinnied back out of the hole dragging a resisting Otome. The girl was obviously human and lacked the claws to impede the half-demon's progress. Not only that, but her missing fangs would have done some considerable damage to Inuyasha's hands if she was normal.

In moments, the boy stood before the demon lord, holding the girl by the scruff of her collar. Although she hung limply in submission as any good pup being scruffed, her eyes were huge and terrified. Did she think they were going to eat her like all the wild demons of the forest? If they weren't very careful, this could be a huge setback in the trust the three had built over the last weeks.

The brothers calmly walked back to Kikyo's hut, projecting an aura of soothing and confidence. It seemed to work as the girl's demeanor calmed and the panic fled. This was probably the first time in her memory that another had witnessed her human night and not attacked her.

Once back indoors, Kikyo fussed over the rediscovered girl and tried to coax her into sleeping on the futon. Inuyasha looked about and announced, "It's too exposed. She's probably used to hiding high up to avoid roaming demons." He scanned the room and nodded his head. In one great gesture, he scooped up the girl and the futon, and leapt to the top of the herb-drying cabinet. Once there, he made a nest like shape out of the futon, and tossed her blanket over it to make a tent. In less than a minute, the girl curled up in the hollow and disappeared.

Inuyasha dropped back to the floor and grinned at his solution. With no comment, for or against, the demon lord shifted to lean against the wall on one side of the cabinet, and Inuyasha took to the wall on the other side of the cabinet. Kikyo simply turned to keep her smile hidden as she wondered how one girl was lucky enough to have two such powerful guard dogs.


	23. Chapter 23 GO!

Chapter 23- GO

Chapter 23- GO!

Sango rested in Kikyo's hut while Inuyasha and Miroku were out with some of the men, hunting and clearing the woods of demons. Miroku didn't want her to remain alone since she was so close to giving birth. So, to humor the overprotective father Sango spent her afternoons in the priestess' hut with Otome. Sango had been working with the girl on the basics of holding and using simple tools. Although the girl's hands were long and slender, she had very little small muscle control. It was hoped that if she was going to ever present a humanoid form, then she would need to know how to behave like a human. Not many average humans ran on all fours and carried things with their mouths.

During their lesson with a simple stick, the girl began to whine quietly. Sango looked up to meet confused eyes that looked at her. The girl dropped the stick and moved closer to nuzzle Sango's cheek. This was a gesture Kirara often used when Sango needed cheering. Was she projecting a feeling of sadness? Sango didn't think so. Still, the girl whined and rubbed against the older woman. She tried to calm the girl by rubbing her hair and scratching behind her ears, but it didn't help.

In a flash, the girl spun and dashed out of the hut. Sango sat there stunned for a moment, wondering what she had done to scare the girl. There was really no pressing need to chase after her. She had learned not to wander away, thanks to Sesshomaru's reprimand, and there was no way Sango could catch up to the little speedster anyways. So, Sango just sat and pondered.

It was only moments later that she heard a distant yelp, and some female complaining. It became clear that it was Kikyo's voice as she heard, "What is wrong with you? I was in the middle of something very important. Stop! You're going to rip my clothes. BAD DOG! Bad dog!" Sango grunted as she raised her considerable girth off the floor to peer out and see what was going on. There, coming up the road, was Kikyo, being dragged by Otome by the sleeve. Sango started to giggle at the look on the priestess' face when she was doubled over by an intense, stabbing pain in her abdomen. A groan escaped the slayer as she slid down the doorframe, clutching her belly.

Kikyo looked up at the sound and realized the situation. She knelt down to the girl's eye level and spoke clearly, "Get Inuyasha. Get Miroku. Go!" With no other thought for Otome, Kikyo rushed up the steps to help Sango.

Quicker than anyone could blink, except maybe Sesshomaru, the girl was gone in a swirl of dust. Using her powerful nose the girl flew out the opened gate and tracked the two superior males of her pack. No one had seen her true determined speed before and she covered an enormous amount of ground with each stride. With each bunching and springing of her legs, she actually increased her stride. When her fists would hit the ground, her legs would already be coiled for the next release. Inuyasha was the only one of the group who had witnessed anything close to this ground swallowing stride of hers.

The men had apparently traveled a ways down the main road from the village to the next town, so she streaked down the trodden trail. She passed a few horses and scared them into rearing up on their masters. She didn't care. Normally, she might have played with the great animals by nipping at their heels. Today was different.

It was only a moment before she came to the place where the men had left the road. With a great plume of dirt and grass exploding before her, she pivoted and scrambled to turn her momentum; legs wind milled to get purchase on the grass. Her slightly clawed toenails dug into the turf and provided her with enough traction to launch off into the woods.


	24. Chapter 24 Loss

AN: Some readers were surprised that an animal could sense something like that. There are several cases where animals knew something was wrong long before the humans did. There is an anti-social cat in a nursing home, that goes to the room of the residents who are about to die, and is very affectionate to that patient for the few days before. There are dogs who can tell when their owners are about to have seizures. One dog hero can alert his owner to an angina attack by pushing his back into the man's chest and allows him to hold onto the dog during the pain. Some dogs can even be trained to smell the presence of cancer.

Chapter 24 - Loss

Suddenly, the white shape of Sesshomaru appeared beside the streaking girl. His demands to know what was happening went unanswered. Even when he spoke in canine language she did not respond. The girl was so focused on her mission, that not even a commanding growl from her alpha could distract her. So, the demon lord resigned himself to simply accompanying the girl to find out what had occurred after they were done.

Sesshomaru had been making his daily rounds when he had sensed the burst of energy that he associated with this strange girl. He had not really paid much notice to this until he felt her presence blasting through the area with unrivalled speed. His first thought was that some demon had captured the little one and was hauling her away to eat her, or worse. His protective instincts that had been awakened and refined by his time with Rin had kicked into high gear and prompted him to rescue the girl.

So, it had been somewhat of a shock for him to approach the girl and find she was alone, moving at incredible speeds. His eyes, which were among the only ones that could track her movements, were amazed to see the grace and fluidity of her strides. He had thought she would run upright, like a human, and simply plod along. But, he should have known better. There was no way she could have spent 10 years outrunning the wild demons that inhabited the forest where he found her if she were that slow.

Instead, she would kick off with her legs and travel forward for nearly ten feet before her hands touched the ground. Then she would push off with her arms, and her legs would reach forward to again strike the ground and kick off the next stride. Each stride covered approximately 15 feet, and she wasted no energy with upward movements like Inuyasha did when he bounced up and down as he ran. She appeared to float two and a half feet above the ground as she traveled. He had watched some animal called a cheetah in a foreign country when he was younger, and this was exactly how the girl moved.

Now that they traveled in the dense forests, the girl's pace naturally slowed. Still, she flew around the trees and leapt over the dense brush with the focus of one obsessed. She didn't notice the brambles that snatched at her skin and clothing. She didn't even blink when shanks of hair tangled on branches and ripped from her mane. She had only one thought in her blank mind, "Get Inuyasha. Get Miroku. Go"

Sesshomaru began to smell the scents of his half-brother and the monk. So that was who she was tracking. Something serious must have happened, because this was not the usual playful girl that he had come to expect.

Up ahead, in a slight clearing, the two men were found to be staring at their approach. Of course, neither the demon lord, nor the comet of a girl had thought to conceal their auras. For that matter, it had not even been determined if the girl could do such a thing.

Inuyasha had his sword half drawn, and Miroku had a handful of sutras at the ready. Instead of the attack they expected, they were treated to a frantically barking and howling girl, and a confused demon lord.

The girl didn't even bother to pivot to a stop; she simply circled the men and barked urgently. When they still didn't understand, she bounced closer and grabbed the monk's robe with her teeth and pulled with all her might. All this accomplished was to knock the man into a heap of purple cloth. A desperate whine built in her throat as she tried again, and grasped a hold of Inuyasha's sleeve with her sharp canines and tried to drag him in the same direction.

Miroku asked questions from the ground while Inuyasha sputtered commands at the near frenzied girl. "Lord Sesshomaru. What is happening?" They both watched as Inuyasha pulled back and stubbornly planted his feet against the girl's tugging. She released the sleeve and swiveled around behind the half-demon and began biting at his calves and heels. "Quit it!" He yelled as he swatted her on the back of the head. She even head butted him in the backs of the knees in an attempt to get his legs moving.

Sesshomaru huffed, "She will not answer me. Yet it seems from her urgency, that she wants you both to head back towards the village."

Miroku turned to be on the same eye-level as the panicked girl and asked in a soothing voice, "Is something wrong back at the village?" The golden eyes turned to stare at him and she released a mournful howl. The small hairs on the back of the monk's neck stood on end and he shivered at the sound. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru looked over the two at each other and nodded in understanding. The girl had clearly howled the canine equivalent of "death" or "loss." Again, since she didn't have a very large vocabulary; it was hard to be precise. Still, her meaning was clear to all the males.


	25. Chapter 25 Return

Chapter 25 - Return

After the brief moment of understanding, Otome launched towards the still kneeling monk and burrowed her head down between his legs and then lifted. The man suddenly found himself flipped onto the back of the speeding girl, but facing in the wrong direction. His long legs dangled down over the shoulders of the girl, and his head banged against her spine. His knees and shins struck the ground with each stride. It was rather like riding Shippo backwards when he was in his toy horse transformation. A wicked thought crossed his mind about how he had promised to never have another woman's head between his legs other than his wife, but he didn't really think this qualified. Once a pervert, always a pervert.

Luckily for the monk and the girl, Inuyasha ran up beside them and removed the floundering man from her struggling back. In one simple move, Miroku found himself thankfully astride the half-demon's back, in the usual manner. As the no longer burdened girl resumed her mad dash through the woods back to the compound, Inuyasha took his usual route through the tree tops.

Now that they were headed back, Miroku tried to make sense of what was happening. This was obviously not a playful exercise. This was serious. He leaned into Inuyasha's ear, "What did the girl say back there? Did she tell you what's wrong in the village?"

Inuyasha gripped his friend's legs tighter and tried to explain, "Well, she can't talk much. But what she said was something along the lines of death or loss. That's all we could get out of it."

Miroku started to frown as he tried to decipher what that meant. Had someone died? Had someone gotten lost? Had there been a demon attack while they had been gone? No, that couldn't be it. He didn't think Otome would have abandoned the compound in the face of an attack. So, that couldn't be the problem. Then, in the back of his mind, his old worry resurfaced that had been a constant companion these past months. Was Sango okay? Was something wrong with the baby? This line of thoughts made him sweat and want to spur Inuyasha to travel faster.

Below them, the girl traveled even faster than she had when she had arrived. This time, there was no need to track, just for speed. Sesshomaru ran beside her and was again amazed at her agility among the trees. He kept track of his brother and the monk to reassure himself that they were not falling behind.

In the blink of an eye, they had exited onto the road again, and speeds escalated from there. Inuyasha was actually shocked that he had to expend all his energy just to keep up with the girl. She was probably faster than the shard-enhanced Koga and didn't smell half as bad. Normally, it took them the better part of an hour to travel the distance back to the village. Today it was going to take them only a few minutes.

When the wooden gates of the village appeared around a bend in the road, the girl produced a long, baying howl like a hunting dog on a scent. The guards at the entrance barely had time to pull back the gate before the familiar shapes came barreling through. If they had been a second slower, the gate would have shattered into a million pieces from the three demons and one monk plowing into it.

The band slid to a stop beside Kikyo's hut and the girl turned to grab Miroku's sleeve in her teeth and pulled him towards the door. From inside the hut, Kikyo's voice called out to him and he shook off the girl and sprinted inside.

Outside, the demons could smell what was happening within. Inuyasha hung his head to mourn the passing of this child that Miroku and Sango had expected. Both knew it would still be several hours before the stillborn child entered this world, but all they could do was wait. Sometimes bad things happened to good people.

Inuyasha watched the panting girl turn saddened gold eyes towards him and she whined pitifully. He doubted the girl knew all the details of what happened, and what would happen, but she seemed to understand the sadness of the death. He walked over and knelt down to her eye-level and patted her on the head. "Thank you. You did good." She responded by leaning over and butting him in the chest with the top of her head, and then just stayed like that. He let her stay that way for a moment and patted her back.

Sesshomaru understood the situation the moment they cleared the gate. The slayer's child had apparently died before child birth, and Otome had been desperate to return the males to their females' sides for support. In that moment he felt a glowing pride in his foundling. She might not know much, but what she had learned on her own was amazing.

He watched the exhausted girl receive comfort from his brother and turned to find a place to rest. If they were true to form, the girl would soon come seeking him for security so she could recuperate and Inuyasha would stalk along behind her to protect her from…him? It still amused the demon that his brother could be so stubborn. But, in truth, the trait ran strongly through their father's bloodline and it wasn't always a bad thing.

The demon lord reclined against the wall of the compound, in the shade, with one leg bent at the knee and his arm resting on that knee. As expected, the exhausted girl raised her head out of Inuyasha's chest and searched around for her alpha. With the last of her energy, she silently padded over to Sesshomaru and flopped her body down beside him. While she sometimes rested her head in Inuyasha's lap, she was content to simply be touching the demon lord. Also as expected, Inuyasha trailed along behind the girl, grumbling some nonsense about keeping an eye on the demon. He settled against the fence, close enough that if the girl turned over, she could place her head in his lap. It was actually his preferred position for relaxing. It was comforting to the half-breed to be a haven for someone so vulnerable.

The grumbling of the half-demon roused the girl just enough to flip over and gently place her head on the red-robed lap. With a grateful sigh, she stretched a leg out just far enough to brush the silk of Sesshomaru's sleeve then stilled as she drifted into a deep sleep.


	26. Chapter 26 Children and Heritage

Chapter 26 – Children and Heritage

With a deep sigh, Inuyasha settled down for the long sad wait as the tragedy in Kikyo's hut played out. He didn't quite know how to feel. With every new baby that Sango and Miroku brought into this world, a new part of his soul would warm up and rejoice. It seemed like all those tikes were expanding his heart. They had suffered some tragedies with children dying young but that was only the way life was here in this era.

Maybe some day, he would want to risk having children too. That was still a ways off, since he was not yet an adult in demon terms. He could enjoy children, but he had no urges to sire any. For just a moment, he wondered if his older brother had ever had the urge to reproduce, or perhaps, had some offspring already running around. He truly didn't know much about Sesshomaru's life. For all he knew, there could be miniature frosty dog demons hidden in dens all over the countryside. He shuddered at the thought. Still, that might explain his incessant wanderings. And he knew his stoic brother had a gentler side, he had personally seen the look on his face after Kagura had turned to dust. They would have made a great pair and would have had some interesting children.

Inuyasha looked down at Otome. She had been someone's child. The question was whose. Did they miss her? Were they looking for her? He hadn't thought about trying to find her family before now because he had not looked past her slave status. Now, he thought about her possible family. Were they slaves too? Pets? Had they lost her to slave traders who indiscriminately kidnapped children to supply their market demands?

It was obvious that there was a great deal of human in her. It was also obvious that there must be some black dog demon blood in her. Still, why was she so dog-like in her behavior? Surely if she were raised by a human parent, she would be more like him, knowing something of both worlds. But, what if she were raised by the dog demon parent? Wouldn't she still act more humanoid, and have some form of communication? But, then, there was the off chance that the dog demon parent was a Mononoke like Kirara. Maybe he didn't have a humanoid form? But then, how would he have sired a child off a human? The thoughts and possibilities confused him, and made his head hurt.

Inuyasha's hand unconsciously stroked the top of the girl's black head and occasionally trailed down to scratch the furry black pointed ears that marked her demon blood. Inuyasha asked to no one in particular, although, Sesshomaru was the only one within hearing distance, "Why does she have demon ears and yet smells so very human? Why does she act more like a dog than anything else?" He made another pass over her cute black furry ears and pushed the hair behind it.

Sesshomaru assumed the question was directed at him, still, the demon did not respond, because he had no answer. Instead, he rose to his feet which only disturbed the sleeping girl slightly, and headed off into the village. No one was totally comfortable in the fearsome presence of the demon lord, but the villagers no longer ran screaming in the opposite direction.

Inuyasha listened to the disturbance in the distance as the blacksmith shouted at someone. The boy smirked, because he had a good idea what happened. Not a moment later, the white clad demon passed by him on his way out of the compound. A piece of the hated slave collar glinted from the magenta striped hand. Without another word, he was gone.

Inuyasha assumed that the question of the girl's heritage had nudged his brother's insatiable curiosity. Being the demon lord of the west, Sesshomaru surely had sources of information that the half-demon could only dream of. If the demon returned without an answer, then there just wasn't an answer to be had. Still, maybe a trip to old Totosai's was in order as soon as Sango was healed from their loss. It couldn't hurt to see if the forgetful demon swordsmith could remember who commissioned the slave collar.


	27. Chapter 27 Grief

Chapter 27 Grief

Kaede rode the old mare into the gate of the demon slayer village. It had been about a year since she had made the trek to help Kikyo handle a sickness that swept through the town. She was getting much too old to continue as the healer for the ever growing Edo, and planned to train an apprentice. She would have asked Kikyo to resume her duties, but she knew her older sister was loathe to reconnect with her old life.

The old mare knew the way almost as well as Kaede did, which was good, considering the elder's failing eyesight. One of Miroku's older children met her at the porch and held the animal as Kaede dismounted. She might be nearing eighty years old, but she could still get around. She was proud of that.

When the message had reached her in Edo about Sango's loss, she had come as soon as she could. The herbal remedies she had packed on the mare would help the grieving mother to recover in mind and body. Even though everyone knew Sango was strong, many a grieving mother had succumbed to illness and sadness after such a tragedy. She refused to allow the same to happen to the heroic demon slayer.

When Kaede stepped on the first step of the porch, she was halted by a deep, menacing growl. A quick search with her powers revealed a strange demon at the far end of the porch. Who had let such a creature within the compound?

Before she reached for her arrow, Inuyasha's voice called from the side of the hut, "Otome! Hush!" The growling ceased. Was it maybe simply a dog on the porch? The red clad boy appeared on the opposite side of the porch and called out, "Hey, Grandma Kaede! Whatcha doin here?"

The old woman greeted the half dog, "I came as soon as word reached me about poor Sango and Miroku's loss. Yon herbs should aid in their recovery." Inuyasha moved to release the ties that held Kaede's traveling satchel. With that distraction gone, the old woman turned her one good eye towards the dark figure that hovered on the far end of the porch.

As she approached, the little black figure came into better focus. It was apparently a humanoid shape. She called out in her most commanding voice, "Who are ye? Why are ye in the demon slayer village?" The being whimpered and the features came into focus. A head of silky black hair waved about the head to end just below the shoulders. The form was covered in a strange version of a black and green demon slayer outfit. Yet, it was the face that caused her old heart to skip. She reached out an old, wrinkled hand and caught the little, pointy chin in her grasp. "Let me see ye face clearly." The confused, innocent eyes peered up at her from an all too familiar, heart-shaped face. "Look sharp girl, or are ye a half wit?" The little face tilted to the side in confusion. "INUYASHA! This child resembles Lady Kagome!"

The half demon stepped up on the porch and snorted, "Yea, we kinda noticed that already. Tell us something we don't know, old hag."

Kikyo stepped out her door to greet her older, younger sister and reprimanded, "Inuyasha! Don't talk to Kaede in that manner!" She then turned toward the commotion and reached a hand out towards Otome. The confused girl scrambled over towards the familiar woman and hid behind the wide flare of the priestess' pants. The healer's hand gently patted the head of the girl and tried to explain, "Lord Sesshomaru brought her to us in a pitiful state. We removed her slave trappings and have nursed her back to health. It seems she has no grasp of human language and only the basics of dog language. Other than that, we're not sure what she is. We call her Otome, and she occasionally answers to that name."

Inuyasha snorted again as he watched the girl peek out from behind Kikyo's leg. It was funny that she could stand up to the likes of Koga, but a withered old, one-eyed, priestess made her cower. But, then again, there were times when even he found Kaede to be frightening. Of course, that was usually when he was being reprimanded for doing something stupid.

Kaede peered around at the girl one more time and quietly commented, "I do not know how or why, but are ye aware that she seems to carry a strange presence? I can not say for sure what it is, but it seems familiar. If I didn't know better, I would swear that it felt similar to the Shikon no Tama before it was torn from young Lady Kagome. Is this possibly Lady Kagome's reincarnation?"

Inuyasha turned hurt eyes towards the little puppy-like girl and wished with all his heart that it was true. Kikyo's throat swelled with emotion as she witnessed the pain in her Inuyasha's face. Yet, the boy turned with a huff "Impossible! You've become delusional in your old age. I knew it was bound to happen." and stormed off to likely pout in a nearby tree.

Kaede sputtered, "Why be it impossible? Young Kagome was completely different and unique from Kikyo. Yet, it is irrefutably true that she was Kikyo's reincarnation. Could not this be another in the chain of lives your soul has experienced?"

Kikyo tried to explain, "Yes, that would be true if she died in a normal manner. But from the little we've learned from Inuyasha over the years, she was tricked and trapped within the Shikon no Tama along with Naraku, to replenish the eternal war between good and evil. When the jewel disappeared, her soul vanished with it." Kikyo reached a hand back and stroked the wavy black hair of the girl that cowered by her hip. "I also do not believe that a human soul can be reincarnated into a demon or half demon. The learned monk Miroku is of the same opinion."

After these statements, Otome's eyes rounded in fear and she retreated to her futon on top of the cabinet. Nothing showed of the girl cowering under the blankets. No amount of coaxing or threatening moved her from that spot. There was too much to do for anyone to force the girl down so they left for their respective chores.

Kaede attended Sango who had moved back to the home she shared with Miroku. Their oldest daughters came to care for the young siblings that still lived at home. Kikyo and Miroku prepared the small precious bundle for a proper burial. Shippo and Inuyasha tended the village and tried to keep things running smoothly, despite the tragedy that befell two of the town elders. No one noticed that Otome did not move from her hiding place for the rest of the day.

Otome sat beside Inuyasha's leg as the burial rites were spoken over the small bundle. She glanced up at the male beside her and tilted her head to the side. Her graceful eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. In the front of the group, Sango and Miroku stood in sorrow as Kaede spoke the words. Each person moved forward in order and offered incense to the small shrine.

Otome padded up with Inuyasha and sniffed quietly at the strange swirling smoke. When Inuyasha was finished, she turned with him and proceeded to walk away. But she stopped and turned towards Sango and Miroku. She padded towards them and stopped to sit before them. She looked up and whined in the back of her throat. Sango looked down, and the tears that swam in her eyes overflowed. The slayer knelt down and wrapped the whimpering girl in a great hug as sobs broke through her stoic resolve. A warm tongue gently wiped away the salty tracks down Sango's face.

Sango murmured words of gratitude as she continued to hold the girl through the service. When there was something she was required to do, Sango straightened up and performed her part. Miroku also knelt down and hugged the girl in gratitude for what she had done, and for what she had tried to do. It would have been so much worse on his wife if he had not been there for support through this tragedy. This strange girl had tried to retrieve Kikyo to help Sango, as well as himself. He would be forever grateful for her efforts.

Moments later, it was time for the cremation. Otome had returned to Inuyasha's side and watched the strange actions. When the first torch was lit, she flinched and cowered behind Inuyasha's legs. But, when they placed the fire to the little funeral pyre, she went crazy. She darted forward and tried to paw the bundle out of the engulfing flames. She frantically ran around the mound of wood and tried to find a way in. Miroku and Inuyasha chased after her to restrain her, but she was too fast to catch easily.

She burned her hands twice, and singed a good portion of the hair on the left side of her face before Inuyasha managed to grab her around the waist and haul her up into his arms. Still, she squirmed and kicked to get down. Her whimpers escalated into a piercing howl as she seemed to realize the futility of her efforts.

Later, after the ashes were interred in a small plot in the graveyard among the fallen demon slayers and Sango's family, Otome was inconsolable. The girl sat beside the new monument and would not make eye contact with anyone. Inuyasha carried her back to Kikyo's hut, but each time, she would sneak out and return to the shrine. Well into the night, she kept a vigil, despite the fact that the girl was terrified of the dark.

The next morning, when Sango and Miroku made their way to offer prayers and incense at the little monument, they found a mound of Otome curled up around the shrine. They thought the girl was asleep until they approached close enough to see the dark circles under the golden eyes. Sango's eyes swam with tears and the lump in her throat made her voice rough as she commented, "It's almost like she's protecting him." Tears streaked down Miroku's face as he nodded, "I think she feels guilt that she couldn't help. This must be so hard for her. She doesn't understand anything that's going on."

Again, no matter how much they talked to her, Otome would not make eye contact with anyone. She also would not leave the grave. Since she did not return to Kikyo's for meals, Shippo tried to bring them to her, but she wouldn't eat.

The next morning was a repeat of the same scene, except the circles were even darker on her pale face. This time, Sango carried their two year old daughter, Hitomi. The precious toddler knew nothing of sadness and loss. She only knew smiles and play. As Miroku and Sango lit the incense and offered prayers at the shrine, little Hitomi waddled up to Otome and sat on her head. The mischievous sprite leaned over and hugged with all her might. A giggling voice shouted, "Puppy!" and the two adults glanced over to see that their daughter had found the girl's furry black ears.

For the first time in days, Otome lifted her head and truly looked at someone. She surveyed this tiny replica of Miroku and Sango, and cocked her head to the side as if she was trying to figure out what it was. A discreet sniff followed. The tired golden eyes glanced up at Sango and Miroku as they moved to unseat their daughter from her puppy-pillow. They stilled.

With a slight huff, Otome rose off the ground and carefully balanced the toddler on her back. Despite being exhausted, the girl bounced a bit and caused a wonderful giggle to escape the creature on her back. Otome turned to walk back towards Sango and Miroku's hut without even waiting for the parents. She seemed to know they would need a little time to complete their rituals.

A few moments later, they followed the bubbling laughter of their youngest. They found Hitomi sitting inside their hut with the girl draped across the threshold. Every few minutes, Hitomi made an escape around the laying girl, and then Otome would dart after her and carry her back by the neck of her kimono. Hitomi cackled the whole time she was running and when she was being hauled back. Miroku smiled and intervened on the next break out. He scooped his daughter up and tickled her senseless. Childish laughter pealed through the village like a bell. Sango sat on the porch next to the exhausted girl, and patted her on the head. With a deep sigh, the golden eyes closed, and sleep claimed her.

Grief could be crushing, but it didn't last forever. Life went on and demanded all do the same.


	28. Chapter 28 Of Puppies and Children

Chapter 28 - Of puppies and children

Otome felt bold enough to venture out during the next day when Inuyasha was otherwise occupied. Really, there was no reason to keep her locked up in Kikyo's hut when no one was there to teach her. She seemed to have learned that she was not allowed to go beyond the compound walls, and so there was no harm in allowing her some freedom. Still, as an extra precaution, she was commanded by Inuyasha to stay with Shippo. If nothing else, if she got out of hand, the fox could subdue her, distract her, or send for help. She had not shown any inclination towards attacking the villagers, but one could never be too sure when dealing with a wild animal.

As was his usual job, Shippo was in charge of entertaining and protecting the village children. This was the perfect job for him and Kirara since they were essentially children at heart. So, the girl padded along beside him as he rounded up his playmates.

All the children took to the strange girl who walked like a dog immediately. The smaller ones even called her "puppy". To Shippo's surprise, she was very gentle when dealing with the little ones tugging at her hair or ears. She even allowed the older kids to ride on her back like a horse. At one point, Shippo thought she was going to bite one particularly annoying brat, but she simply growled lightly, rolled him over into a submissive, belly-up position and nuzzled his tummy. The kid turned out to be very ticklish and totally forgot about pestering the puppy.

About mid-day, a loud roar split the air of their clearing. Four enormous eagle demons swooped down from the sky. They circled the panicked children, trying to pick off the slower ones for a meal. Shippo and Kirara scrambled to herd the children back towards the safety of the compound. But it was hard to reach all the frantic children. Several of the smaller ones huddled together in the middle of the circling flock, too terrified to move.

Just as one of the enormous birds reached it talons out for a tender toddler, Otome sprang from behind the group and latched her jaws on the bony claw of the bird. A vicious snarl bellowed from the girl's throat as she swung her body up so her hands and feet could shred at the bird's underbelly. It dropped from the sky like a rock.

Before the first bird crashed to the forest floor, the girl leapt off and moved to guard the huddle of children. Another giant raptor moved in to swipe at the annoying obstacle to their lunch. This time she didn't even wait for the bird to approach. With all the power she could muster, she coiled up her legs and sprang straight for the feathered throat. The movement was totally unexpected, so the predator had no time to react and alter its course. In a matter of seconds, the girl's canines had ripped a massive hole in the jugular vein of the now dying bird.

Again, the girl moved to stand between circling death and these frightened children. She lifted her lip and emitted a most intimidating snarl. The volume grew as the creatures neared. Suddenly, an enormous shout echoed in the clearing, and streaks of yellow power tore up the ground to crash into the enormous birds. Nothing remained but falling bits of flesh and feathers.

A bit confused, the girl continued to growl a warning to stay away as she scanned over this new development. To her right, the sound of running feet could be heard as villagers stomped into the clearing. She turned her body to face this new presence and continued to growl viciously. Inuyasha strode towards the rumbling female while Miroku held the nervous villagers back from rushing into danger.

When he was close enough that the girl's volume began to climb again, he called out, "Hey Otome! Good girl." The noise stopped and she blinked her eyes into focus on the second male of her pack. His voice comforted her as he continued, "Come on girl. It's okay. The brats are safe. Let's go home." As if understanding, she turned to sniff the crying kids behind her. They smelled okay. There was no blood. She blinked her eyes a few more times and pranced over behind the huddled children and nudged them with her head towards their waiting parents. One little one refused to walk, so she gently grasped the back of its kimono in her mouth and trotted over to the parents and placed the infant before them. Then she turned and allowed the other toddlers to pat and thump on her like a "good dog."

Inuyasha walked up alongside the girl, and also patted her on the head. She looked up into his approving face then yipped and wagged her non-existent tail. Miroku watched and half expected her tongue to loll out of her mouth and the half-demon to scratch her behind the ears.


	29. Chapter 29 Changes, or Not

Chapter 29 – Changes, or not

Miroku and Inuyasha stood off to the side and watched as Kikyo and Sango tried to put a kimono on Otome over top of the modified slayer outfit. As was to be expected, the girl hated it. She squirmed and struggled to get out of their grasp. Inuyasha smirked to think that the girl could take down two eagle demons, but couldn't defeat two determined women.

While Inuyasha pondered those thoughts, Miroku noticed something else. He crossed his arms, closed his eyes, and rubbed his temples. "Inuyasha, have you noticed that our little Otome seems to be developing into a woman?"

The white head spun to scowl at his perverted best friend and growled, "So help me monk, if you are thinking perverted thoughts about that girl, I'll…"

Miroku interrupted him. "I assure you, my feelings and thoughts towards Otome are the same as I would have towards my own daughters." The monk opened his eyes and gestured with his head towards the women, "What I am referring to is her shape is becoming more womanly in the… um… chest area. It makes sense that she couldn't develop with that horrible metal corset on. I wonder how long it will be before she outgrows that demon slayer outfit."

Inuyasha frowned and sputtered, "Wait. But I thought she was just a kid? Didn't you say she seemed to be about fifteen?"

The monk turned his head to scan the cloudless sky, "My estimation was only an educated guess. There is no way to know how old she truly is since we still don't know exactly what she is. And I'm sure demons or partial demons age at a different rate than we simple humans."

Inuyasha snorted, "Ain't nothing simple about you humans. Still…" he paused, "if she's growing into a woman, that means it won't be long before men start sniffing around her. How you gonna protect her when she doesn't understand what we're saying?"

Miroku frowned, "What do you mean, how am **I** going to protect her? Aren't you going to help? You're the only one who she can communicate with. Besides, you are quite a bit more intimidating in the 'chasing men away with a big sword' department than I am."

Inuyasha smirked, "Hey, I'll gladly lend you the big sword. Besides, you've got more experience since you have six daughters. All I've ever had was Shippo, and trust me, ain't no one sniffin around him. Least we don't have to worry about Koga. She made sure he wouldn't be interested." The conversation was interrupted by some distressed shouting from Kikyo and giggling from Sango. The men turned back to look and found a nearly naked Otome streaking towards them with the Kimono hanging in her mouth.

Miroku tried to avert his eyes and not laugh, but Inuyasha simply lunged to intercept the girl. At the last minute, she dodged his movement, and he came away with a handful of silk. She didn't try to escape. She simply turned slightly and dug her arms into the dirt and pulled backwards. A tug of war ensued which had everyone laughing.

The girl growled challengingly at the dominant male. Inuyasha's eyes widened, "Oh, no you didn't. You didn't just growl at me did you, missy!" The giggling on the porch escalated. Inuyasha grabbed the scrap of silk with both hands and started to shake it back and forth. A smile cracked his face as Otome proceeded to shake her head violently back and forth in an attempt to dislodge his hands. He growled playfully and her movements froze. For just a moment, her eyes clouded with concern. Then a hint of a grin curved her lips around the red silk. With all the strength she could muster, Otome resumed shaking her head back and forth and managed to pull Inuyasha off balance.

Inuyasha was forced to release the kimono in order to prevent a face-plant into the ground; something that had not happened in decades. In triumph, Otome trotted around him, just out of lunging reach, and continued to shake the kimono at him. Miroku covered his mouth to keep from laughing in his friend's face and commented, "Well, Inuyasha, I think she learned how to gloat over a victory from you."

The dog-eared boy slowly stood and brushed off any dirt. He looked around and commented, "Nope. That's strictly a Sesshomaru move. She must have learned it from his stuffiness." He watched her antics for a bit more and remarked, "I don't think we have to worry about her growing up any time soon. She's still a puppy."


	30. Chapter 30 Shocking Behavior

Chapter 30 – Shocking behavior

Inuyasha worked clearing fallen trees and dry brush from the forest around the village. Not only did he provide wood for cook fires, but he lowered the risk of wild fires. Behind him, he heard a great commotion. Distressed whinnies and stomping could be heard coming from the stable at the rear of the village. Had a demon gotten in and attempted to eat the horses? The village protected their horses like a national treasure, so it wasn't long before angry human voices rose up beside the screams of the horses.

Inuyasha raced to the area, itching for a good fight. It had been a while since he had a challenge. It seemed that most of the powerful demons were either gone, or hiding. Maybe Naraku had simply absorbed them all.

As he flew into view of the cloud of dust kicked up by angry hooves, he searched for the enemy. Horses reared and stomped in distress on all sides of the paddock. Maybe it was simply a wolf that had gotten trapped in with the giant animals? Hadn't Sango been training some new recruits in this area? Why didn't she stop this?

That very woman's voice rose above the din and confusion to shout one dreaded word. "OTOME!!" The tone of the woman's voice told the whole story. She wasn't yelling in concern or encouragement. Her voice was angry and exasperated. Inuyasha groaned, "Don't tell me….."

Sure enough, as the dust settled a bit, a black and green streak appeared near the hooves of an angry horse that lashed out with all its considerable might. He grumbled, "Shit, that girl's gonna be the death of me." Then he raced towards the corral. Being the smart half demon that he was, he jumped to the top railing instead of rushing into the ruckus. Across from him, Sango had also climbed up to peer over the fence.

There, amid the thrashing horseflesh, Otome danced and nipped at the long legs. She dipped and veered around the flashing hooves like a strange dancer. Her face shone with concentration and something else. It almost mirrored the tiny grin that had graced her face during the tug-of-war the other day. She seemed to have developed a new facial expression, other than sadness and confusion.

Now, this would be a great lesson, if it weren't for the fact that she was terrorizing the animals to the point that nostrils were dilated and white foam had formed at their panicked mouths. She currently taunted one particularly nasty mare who had a reputation of causing trouble. It was almost gratifying to see the evil mare put in her place.

Having stalled long enough, Inuyasha gathered himself to reprimand the girl. His voice bellowed over the din, "OTOME! STOP IT!" Instantly, the tiny grin flew off the girl's face. Her body froze in fear. Her head whipped around to find the angry face of the superior male and she whimpered like a guilty child.

Sango watched with a smirk. It was good that someone could control the girl. She had the strength of a demon and the mind of a child. Not a good combination.

In an instant, Sango tensed again and shouted, "Look out!" But it was too late. The moment of distraction as the girl cowered left the vindictive mare the perfect opportunity for revenge. Faster than even Otome could react, the black hooves of the mare's rear legs lashed out at the bundle of black and green.

A sickening hollow thud sounded in the corral and the girl flew ten feet to sprawl against the fence with a surprised 'yipe.' The agitated horses in that area reared up to stomp the offending attacker. Suddenly, Sango's Hiraikotsu flew below the pawing hooves and crashed into the dirt in front of the girl. It was enough of a scare that the rearing horses pivoted to come down facing the other way, and galloped off towards their leader.

One of the trainee fighters had the forethought to open the gate on the side of the corral, and let the terrified horses escape into their turn-out field. As the dust settled, Inuyasha and Sango leapt towards their downed friend. Neither knew what to expect.

To their shock, Otome sat there and watched them approach like nothing had happened. Even more, she looked confused, but mostly, she looked unhurt. Inuyasha sighed and ran a clawed hand down his face. "You've got to learn not to do things like this. You'll get in trouble with the villagers." He looked to see the girl pad over to sit before him and stare up into his face. He grinned, "So, I guess you're not even hurt, are you? Tough little shit!"

Sango reached them and made a horrible face. She placed a hand over her nose and mouth and commented, "Wow! Shit is right! What in the world has she been rolling in?"

Inuyasha sniffed delicately and noticed the foul odor that rose from the sweaty, dust covered body. There were telling stains of dark brown smeared on her black and green outfit, as well as in her hair and on one side of her face. His grin grew wider. "Maybe she really did scare the shit out of one of those horses. I hope it was Nadiko. That evil bitch needs to be put down!"

Sango reached for her giant boomerang and nearly gagged at the smell. "How can you stand to be near her? She smells like something died!" Inuyasha merely shrugged his shoulders.

Sango shook her head as she stepped back to a safe distance, "It must be a dog thing to like rolling in awful smelling stuff. Since you like it so much, you can give 'stinky' there a bath. Make sure you get that out of her hair too, otherwise Kikyo won't let her back into the hut and you'll be sharing your tree limb tonight."

Inuyasha's grin fled as he imagined the struggle to clean the naughty pup. As he led her away, he had a desire, for just a moment mind you, to find the pile she had rolled in, and indulge in a good roll of his own. It would be funny to see the group's reaction if he smelled as foul as Otome did right now. Rakish grin plastered back on his face, the half-demon made plans to shock the group at a later date. Maybe it wasn't a dog thing to enjoy rolling in shit, but instead, to enjoy shocking others. He thought of his half-brother's actions for a moment in that context and really started to laugh. Sesshomaru didn't have to roll in shit. He kept that Jakken around who smelled like a walking cow patty, so he didn't have to.

When they neared the bend in the river where it deepened, he gestured like he was throwing a ball and stated, "Bath." Before him, he watched Otome shift into a sprint and launch herself, full speed, into the stream. Shrieks of surprise echoed from the riverbed as the young women who knelt to wash clothes were inundated by an Otome create Tsunami. The half-demon nodded as he sauntered after the stinky girl. "Yup, it must be a dog thing to like to shock people."


	31. Chapter 31 Marks

Chapter 31 Marks

A moan of pain and the sounds of struggling woke the priestess. She rubbed the crust from her eyes and looked around her moonlit hut. The sounds came from the corner where the girl stayed. Somehow, the group had decided it was best to keep Otome in this hut; something about dogs and their dens. Seriously, during the day, the girl was attached at the hip to Inuyasha or Sesshomaru. But when night fell, she scurried with her proverbial tail between her legs into Kikyo's hut.

Kikyo lit the oil lamp she kept beside her futon and waited for the light to stretch to that corner. The floor where the pallet used to lay was barren. Apparently the girl felt exposed when she slept on the floor. So, instead, they had folded the futon and placed it on top of the wardrobe that held Kikyo's herbs. The girl preferred hiding up there whenever she felt threatened, so it made sense to make it a comfortable bed.

This night, like the others, Otome was up on top of the wardrobe. Another moan of pain confirmed that it was indeed the sound that awakened Kikyo. The priestess called up, "What's wrong? Come down." Nothing "Hey, Otome?" The girl did not respond, and she did not come down.

Kikyo refused to climb up onto the furniture, so she did the next best thing. She stepped out on her porch, and quietly called for Inuyasha. In only moments, the yawning half-demon bounded onto the porch beside her. "What's up, Kikyo? Problem?"

She crossed her arms over the white sleeping kimono that did nothing to keep the cold night air out, "Well, it seems Otome is in pain and won't come down from the top of the cabinet." With a turn, she pointed into the hut towards the shadow that was the girl.

Inuyasha leapt to the top of the wardrobe and scooped up the girl, futon and all. With another bound, he spread them both out beside the little oil lamp. His growl for attention was met by a murmur of acknowledgment that morphed into a whimper of pain.

Kikyo surveyed the girl and noticed that her face was flushed and sweat dripped from her whole body. A curse started to form on the reserved priestess' lips. "Damn! Not another fever. I thought we were passed all that!" Yes, it was official. She had hung around the crude dog demon for too long.

The girl struggled against the blanket that was placed over her and started to tear at her kimono. The whimper turned into more of a howl as she reached over her shoulder to dig at her back. Kikyo asked Inuyasha to turn around while she undressed the girl to check her scars.

The removal of the kimono seemed to provide some temporary relief as the girl quieted. Kikyo surveyed the areas that had been covered by the metal corset. Of all the wounds, this was the only area that had not healed properly.

It seemed to be the girl's back that was giving her trouble. The skin around her spine was terribly red and inflamed. Kikyo soaked some cloths in cold water and placed them on the affected area. The sigh of relief was immediate. Unfortunately, the relief wasn't permanent.

Within minutes, the girl again thrashed and whimpered. Panting and gasping racked her small frame as Kikyo hurried to mix herbs for a tea. The noise level in the hut increased as the whimpering escalated into loud whines. The girl was sprawled on her stomach; hands clawing at her spine. Inuyasha struggled to restrain her arms. With a huge yawn, Shippo staggered into the hut with Kirara beside him. "What's going on, Inuyasha?"

A small masculine voice piped up, "Hmm, it looks like she's about to get her demon markings. What a joyous occasion."

The half-demon looked aghast. "You old fraud! She's in pain! How can this be a fucking joyous occasion?" The aged flea simply bounced over to the girl's back to examine the red welts that were darkening on her shifting flesh. As Kikyo applied another layer of cool wet rags, those present watched the skin literally raise up like something was trying to tear out of her body, and begin to form arching curved lines. A howl erupted from the girl's throat and her thrashing became more frantic.

Myoga tried to explain what was happening. "Once a demon becomes fully mature, their markings appear to show the world they have accessed their powers. The occasion marks an increase in the powers of the demon."

Inuyasha grunted with the effort to restrain the thrashing girl and yelled, "But she's mostly human! How could she get demon markings?" The flea only shrugged, "Maybe her demon blood is taking over? Rather like your own transformation, Master Inuyasha." The half-demon grunted, "Damn! If she goes on a rampage, we're gonna need more help. I can barely hold her now at her normal level! Shippo, go get Miroku and tell him he needs to hurry. Maybe he can seal her with a sutra."

As Shippo exited the hut, Sesshomaru strode in with a cool expression. He had heard the commotion and hurried when he heard the girl howling in pain. In a single glance, he knew what had happened. Even though he had never seen another demon raise their marks, he remembered his own torturous experience only too well to not understand the scene. He ordered, "Inuyasha, you must render her unconscious."

The boy blanched at the suggestion and shouted, "Hell no! I'm not gonna hit her! She's already hurtin enough as it is." In a blur of white, the demon crossed the room and landed a crushing blow to the back of the struggling girl's skull. All movement in the room ceased. He stepped back and explained, "Inuyasha, you do her no favor by allowing her to be awake for this."

Inuyasha released the slack hands of the girl and turned on his brother, "You bastard! How could you be so heartless?"

It was Kikyo who defused the situation when she bowed to the demon lord and thanked him, "Thank you for your assistance, Lord Sesshomaru. The sedating tea had no effect on the girl, and I was at a loss on how to help her." He merely nodded his head and crossed to his usual spot to await the others.

Miroku came running with his robe half hanging off, and a panting Shippo directly behind him. They entered into a subdued room and Miroku held the sutra out looking for the trouble. "Um, Inuyasha?" But the only response the monk received was a snort and a wave towards the demon lord.

On the pallet beside Kikyo's futon, a mysterious pattern was evolving on the unconscious girl's back. Sections of skin seemed to rise up as if something were pushing against it from underneath. Then, the abused flesh would turn a deep navy color and smooth out. Miroku remarked at the beauty of the pattern. It formed a very stylized series of curves that began on her left shoulder blade and wound their way back and forth over her spine like a vine encircling a trellis. When the design reached the edge of the damaged skin from the metal corset, it turned and disappeared across the girl's right side. Finally, it reemerged at her left side and curled around into a blossom pattern just below her shoulder blade.

Myoga hopped onto her back and surveyed the design. He announced, "It is done."


	32. Chapter 32 Hints

AN: mononoke- animalistic demons that can't take humanoid form, like Kirara

Chapter 32 - Hints

Inuyasha stormed over to his brother and took an angry swing to vent his frustration. No one was surprised that it missed its mark. The boy ranted, "How could you just hit her like that? You don't show up for days and then suddenly, BAM, you rush in and knock her unconscious!"

Sesshomaru stared down his nose at his brother and explained, "I simply did what had to be done. This Sesshomaru remembers the pain of raising ones marks and would wish that pain on no one." He turned and exited the small hut to the porch where the "elders" usually gathered to discuss important matters.

Kikyo followed Inuyasha, Miroku and Shippo out after she made the transformed Otome as comfortable as possible. A small oil lamp lit the surrounding area of the porch. It was obvious to all that Inuyasha still itched to attack his brother for his perceived mistreatment of the girl.

Miroku ran a weary hand through his hair. It was too early to put up with the brothers' drama right now. Or was it too late. He had no idea for he had been in a deep sleep when Shippo scurried in with Inuyasha's message. Luckily, Sango had taken Kaede's sleeping tea and had not even stirred at the commotion. She still needed a great deal of sleep to recover her strength and mental equilibrium. So, to speed this discussion, he stepped into his usual role as mediator and diplomat, in hopes of returning to his lovely wife before the night was over.

"We appreciate your assistance, Lord Sesshomaru. And I'm sure when Inuyasha has a moment to reflect, he will thank you for your consideration towards Otome." The dog-eared boy simply huffed a negative response to that comment. Still, Miroku continued. "Although, it is late, does your return mean you have found answers to your search?"

All eyes turned towards Sesshomaru's face with varying degrees of hope. Internally, the demon lord sighed. How had he gotten so involved with his brother's band of misfits? In the past, it had only been the cause of searching for Naraku that had intertwined the bands. Well, to be truthful, Naraku wasn't the only reason, but he wasn't prepared to delve into that topic at the moment. Now, he had no real excuse, other than his interest in the strange girl who lay inside, unconscious. That, coupled with his growing boredom, were the only things he could blame.

Still, he didn't feel put out in the least when it came to anything to do with Otome. He didn't resent any of the time and effort involved with the girl. In truth, he felt the long dormant parts of his brain awaken to this new mystery. It was interesting; dare he say it, almost exciting. Though, she was not nearly as intriguing as the late Kagome had been, it was enough to keep him returning every few days to witness any new developments; like tonight.

Who would have thought that the girl… well, he couldn't truly call her that anymore if she was mature enough to raise her demon marks… had advanced enough to access her demon powers. He had never seen anything like this in all the half-demons he had encountered in his travels. Only full demons could raise their marks, and even then, not all of them could accomplish the feat. Weaker demons never bore marks. Only the higher class, humanoid demons carried such signs of their heritage. It would be interesting to see her powers manifest.

He had taken the bit of metal to the two-thousand year old magnolia tree Bokusen-oh. If any being knew of the forests' inhabitants, it would be that wise old tree. It seemed that it knew everything that happened on the entire island. It had been quite the experience. It seemed that the old tree and his network of demon trees had been watching over the strange girl for years. Sesshomaru had been forced to explain what his intentions were towards the girl and the knowledge he sought before the stubborn old tree would divulge anything.

He mentally returned to the subject of the monk's question and tossed the nasty section of slave collar that held the scent of Otome's blood at his brother. His voice was cold and condescending as usual, "The monk was correct. The girl had been in that particular forest for nearly fifteen years. She apparently escaped from a stronghold that specialized in breeding dog mononokes several days north of the forest. It was said nothing remains other than the kennels and carcasses."

Kikyo's compassion caused her to comment, "Poor things." Shippo yawned and added his thoughts, "Don't some demons use dog mononokes for hunting big game and blood sports?" He reached over and twirled the slave collar remnant between his small hands. "But how could a human girl come from a breeding program for hunting dogs?"

Sesshomaru ran a hand through his silver locks. "The answer to that may lie in her blood. It seems that she is not a normal hybrid. Most half-demons are a stable mixture of breeds that cannot raise demon marks due to the blended blood."

Myoga's little voice piped up through the darkness, "It is true she has strange blood. She tasted human with an undercurrent of demon… very strong, powerful demon. And what delectable blood it was too."

Kikyo thought out loud, "That would explain why her owner went to such expense for her slave trappings. If she was a near human born of a pair of hunting mononokes, she would be considered quite a rarity. Any breeder would want to protect any new attributes from their breeding program. It makes good business sense."

Inuyasha glanced back through the door of the hut to check that Otome was still out. Things just got weirder and weirder. So, he asked, "Hm, so we're going to the castle up north? Surely there was someone left alive that had worked there. Maybe they'll talk to us." He looked towards the silent demon, "You know, you really don't have much in the way of 'people-skills.'"

Miroku and Shippo grinned at Inuyasha's parroting of what Kagome used to complain about the brash half-demon. It was true that both dog brothers had a hard time relating to common villagers, but the demon lord was by far the more anti-social.

Miroku didn't wait for Sesshomaru's scathing retort to the accusation and simply interjected, "A trip to the castle might be in order. Maybe we can find some servants who could shed some light on the inhabitants. Maybe we could even track the lord's whereabouts." His voice darkened, "I'd like to discuss a few things with that particular lord."

All thoughts turned to retribution and justice for the ill-treated girl within Kikyo's hut. Inuyasha smirked an evil grin at the plans for when he met that particular slave owner. In the meantime, he studied the bit of metal in Shippo's hands. He announced, "We'll stop by old Totosai's place to see if that old coot remembers anything about making this collar. Chances are he won't, since he can't even remember his own name anymore. But, it's worth a try."

Plans for the trip were tabled for later in the day, when they had slept more and were clear-headed. Miroku and Shippo staggered back to their respective beds and Kikyo retired back into her hut. Inuyasha made no move to leave as he glanced at the silhouette of his brother. His voice was subdued and quiet, "So, you plannin' to come with us? Couldn't hurt, although, the villagers and Totosai might not talk with you around. You do tend to scare people off."

Sesshomaru didn't turn to acknowledge the question. In his head, he tried to think of a way to go along but to not actually 'go along' with the group. He could travel as he did during the Naraku hunt; criss-cross his brother's trail and check in if anything interesting happened. It wouldn't be quite as easy as it had been in the past. He had used the little futuristic priestess' aura as an indicator of when to intervene. Her beautiful aura would spike quite dramatically when any of them were threatened; and the light show was phenomenal when Naraku appeared. Strange how none of the others seemed to be able to see her striking aura.

He decided to use that tactic again and would attempt to use his brother's aura as a barometer of when to approach. As he walked away, he commented over his shoulder, "I can not hold your hand for the entire trip, but I will be around if needed."


	33. Chapter 33 Three to Get Ready

Chapter 33 – Three to get Ready

The group scoffed at Myoga's remark that the 'girl' had matured. Otome had been exactly the same energetic puppy the next morning, despite the fact she now had demon marks. She hadn't even flinched around Sesshomaru who had delivered the blow that rendered her unconscious. Considering that the majority of her marks were in areas that her clothes covered; only the graceful scrollwork that followed the scar on her neck was visible.

Plans for the excursion were discussed and finalized once everyone had reconvened on the porch. The group delayed leaving until Miroku was sure that Sango was completely recovered in body and spirit. It didn't matter that the slayer had protested and demanded she was fine, they left the decision to her husband, who knew her best.

Inuyasha had not even attempted to rush the departure as he had been known to do in the past. He had at least matured enough to realize that the health of his group held priority over any quest or adventure. There were times, when he was alone and in a thoughtful mood that he realized he would have done things differently during the Naraku hunt if it were now, instead of twenty years ago. He had struggled to learn how to actually protect those of his pack back then, and had no clue about the role of a true leader. He would like to think he had grown into the role naturally, but that just wasn't so. He had failed too many times to count.

Kagome had given him the perfect example of a true Alpha leader. She always considered the consequences of everything on all members of the pack. She didn't lead by brute force; unless you counted the use of the subjugation beads around his stubborn neck. People did what she asked because she never asked anyone to do something that she was unwilling to do herself, and she would do anything for anyone that she found worthy. She had tried to show him that he could get more done by being nice than by yelling and bullying. But, that was all he knew for most of his life.

So, now when they had a mission, of sorts, he made sure they were prepared. He had gone off half-cocked in the past, and it usually led to disaster and hardships on his friends. He also intended to make sure they were all in top physical condition. No more of this fighting injured because anyone was too proud to admit they were hurt. Even though he had always teased Kagome for her concern and worry, he understood it now. These friends were just too precious to risk for something as stupid as pride. It made him wish he could go back in time and hug Kagome and thank her for her love and concern.

Inuyasha slipped in through the window of the back room in Miroku and Sango's hut. They had long ago designated this 'his' room, even though he only utilized it in the harshest weather. More often than not, Shippo slept in the room. But, the fox was respectful of Inuyasha's space and didn't disturb any of his belongings.

Since it was mid-morning, no one was present in the hut. Inuyasha strode to the corner that housed his futon and possessions. There, amid the mementos of his long life, sat a worn and dirty yellow backpack. It just seemed wrong to go on a journey without the familiar object. He crouched on the floor before the bag and reverently opened it. The items were packed just as she had left them that day she had been abruptly dragged away from them in the fight with Naraku. Once every few years, he would carefully remove the treasured items and remember his friend.

It had been so long, that none of the items retained her wonderful scent. But, as he looked at the strands of hair in her hair brush, he could remember it clearly. There were still two containers of Ramen in the pack, but he would never even consider eating them, even if he were starving to death.

Also in the bag were several books from that awful 'school' place. Even though she had passed one phase of school before the final battle, she had told them that she had been accepted to another school, one that was 'higher' than her last. Whatever that meant. The group had poured over these books for any information that might prove useful. They knew about her fears of changing the future, but at this rate, he would gladly destroy the world if he could somehow change the fate of his bright, loving friend. She didn't deserve the ending fate had forced upon her.

As he had on many occasions, he removed her journal, and gently opened the faded cover. It made him feel closer to her to read her accounts of their travels. He still got a laugh at reading where she accused him of being a pervert when she caught him watching her during that first bath. And, his all time favorite entry was her awful first impression of his cold and terrible half-brother. Served the bastard right, trying to melt her the first time they met. Yup, he had truly deserved to be without that arm for as many months as it had taken him to regrow it. It had definitely knocked his arrogance down a notch or two. "Hit him in the pride." She had screamed, and that was exactly what they had done.

He knew he didn't have time to reread the whole journal, so he gently replaced it back into the revered bag. Just that action made him feel like she was traveling with him on this journey. He could almost hear her fussing at him to be patient and let them get everything they needed packed up. Her voice echoed saying, "Those who fail to plan, plan to fail." Oh, if he had only met her some fifty years later, he would have been able to appreciate all that she offered. But, then maybe he wouldn't, because it was the meeting and knowing her that had matured him into the person he was today. Not to mention, he would have still been pinned to a tree if it weren't for her intervention.

He had long ago decided that 'if only' was a useless phrase that did nothing but express regrets. He had sworn to learn from all those regrets, and become a better person. Miroku had once told him that 'doing what's right was seldom easy or comfortable' but it was always right. So, he meant to do right on this quest by guarding the health of his friends, and waiting until everything was prepared.

With a nod of his head, he replaced the old backpack, and headed back towards Kikyo's hut. There, he found Kikyo arguing with Shippo. Kikyo stressed, "I'm not going! There is too much to do here to take off on a journey that could take months. We can't all be gone at the same time. The villagers depend on us!" Shippo's remarks were said so quietly that they did not travel on the wind. Inuyasha watched Miroku and Sango approach the hut from the other side.

As they all converged on the porch, Kikyo huffed, "Well, some of us are just plain humans. We can't all be like Sango and Miroku who never age." Shock registered on everyone's faces at the comment.

Inuyasha took a good look at Kikyo and noticed something he hadn't before. She had slight wrinkles around her eyes and mouth which showed the passage of time. It had been almost twenty years since she had returned to life. Had he just been so used to seeing her unchanged that he had stopped truly looking at her?

Then his golden eyes turned to scan the faces of his two friends. It was true. Miroku and Sango looked exactly the same as they had at the final battle even though they were almost forty years old. No lines marred either face, and time had made no impact on their bodies either. How could he have missed this?

Sango opened her mouth to comment, but Kikyo cut her off before she could, "I'm not going, and that's final. I don't want to talk about it anymore. I've got everything you need packed, including spare clothes for Otome, so be off with you. I've got work to do!" Then she turned and stormed off the porch and disappeared into the milling crowd of villagers.

Sango shut her mouth with an audible click. The rest of them just looked back and forth at the others, wondering what to say. Miroku frowned and remarked, "She's right about it not being a good thing for all of us to go. We can't leave the village totally unprotected. Maybe one of us should stay also?" His eyes slid to Sango, knowing that she would never let history repeat itself by leaving the village vulnerable to attack.

Inuyasha knew of the slayer's stubborn streak, and wondered if she would insist on going. So, it was a shock when she looked sheepish and begged off the trip. "Um, actually, I was going to ask if you could manage without me. I just don't feel right leaving Hitomi with Chikara for an extended time. And like Kikyo said, there's no telling how long this will take. I'm sure you two could travel faster on your own.

So, in moments, it was decided, without a fuss, that Miroku and Inuyasha would travel with Otome and Kirara. Shippo, Kikyo and Sango would remain behind to guard the village. They almost decided to leave Otome behind until Sango reminded Inuyasha that he and Sesshomaru were the only ones she truly obeyed. It could get really ugly, having an out of control demon 'puppy' running wild about the village. She would probably just try to herd all the villagers into a group.


	34. Chapter 34 And Four to Go

Chapter 34 – And Four to Go

Otome didn't seem to mind when the group set out at daybreak the next day. Traveling with her was a bit awkward at first, because she only had two speeds; slow walk and blistering fast sprint. She would pace after them on her hands and knees; drop back; then sprint past them. Miroku didn't seem to mind, but it wore on Inuyasha's nerves. Anytime she was behind him, it made the half demon worried. Danger had a tendency to leap out at the stragglers in this world.

Inuyasha turned to his purple-robed companion, "So, wanna run for a bit? Seems someone is full of energy. Maybe we can wear her out." Miroku simply smiled and shifted the tiny Kirara to a better position and leaned forward into a swift jog. Inuyasha took several running steps then leaped forward in a huge jump. Otome fell behind for a second, and then flashed up alongside the monk with an excited yip.

Inuyasha was surprised as always that the human could keep up with him, even if it was only for short periods. Admittedly, Inuyasha wasn't using his top speed which rivaled Koga and Sesshomaru, but he was still fairly fast. Miroku's stamina and speed spoke of the extreme training he had endured as a youth in order to hunt and defeat Naraku.

As he glanced over to the monk and puppy, Inuyasha's mind drifted back to the revelation that Miroku and Sango didn't seem to be aging. How had he missed that? They were his pack. It was his job to keep an eye on them and be aware of everything that pertained to their health and safety. It raised many unanswered questions that would have to be discussed with the monk. Of all the people he knew, Miroku was the wisest and second only in knowledge to the late Kagome. Maybe they could search for those answers on this quest also.

If it were true, it eased his mind about having to part from his friends soon, due to their mortality. Everyone he had known as a child had already passed from this mortal plane, with the exception of the demons like Sesshomaru, Jaken and Myoga. The loneliness never really left him; he just managed to push it to the back of his mind when he was enjoying the camaraderie of his group. He had once made the statement that he was glad he didn't have to worry about growing old. That was technically true. He didn't worry about himself ageing; it was the aging of those around him that kept him awake at night.

After an hour of sprinting, Inuyasha could hear the increased volume of Otome's panting breath. He looked over to see that the girl had drifted back a few feet from the blur of purple that was the monk. It looked like they had hit her limit on sheer sprinting. They had covered a great deal of ground, so it wasn't a problem to take a break.

When the men stopped near a spring, the girl quickly collapsed under a thick shade tree. Her sides heaved with the effort to take in enough air to satisfy her straining lungs. After a quick drink at the brook, Miroku walked over to sit beside her. He was shocked to see blood dripping from her right hand.

At the exclamation, Inuyasha turned to see his friend unwrapping the make-shift gloves off the girl. The scent of her unique blood hit his sensitive nose. A closer inspection revealed that the very leather of the gloves had cut into the skin between her fingers. Guilt hit both men as they realized she had run all that distance injured, and never once made a noise to complain. Pain must have simply been an every day occurrence in her life.

After dipping the injury in the stream, and a bit of licking, done by Otome, of course, the little band was ready to head out again. They had planned to travel all day and cover the two closest provinces before dark. Still, the limping girl would hold them to a slower pace and that was not acceptable.

So, Inuyasha finally decided to just carry the girl. They could cover more ground if he were running, and Miroku riding Kirara. It took a bit to get Otome to understand what they wanted. Obviously, she had never done anything similar in her life. Heck, from what they could figure, she had been alone most of her life so she wouldn't know the first thing about getting a helping hand from another. Miroku finally simply lifted her and arranged her on Inuyasha's back in the traditional position pioneered by Kagome.

A queer feeling raced through Inuyasha as he gripped the legs of this strange Kagome look-a-like. It was as if the years simply reversed themselves, and he was carrying his best friend and searching for shards. Then, slowly, reality reasserted itself, and he could feel the differences that distinguished Otome from Kagome. This girl was still painfully thin and bony, whereas, Kagome had been toned, but a bit squishy in places. Otome was also quite a bit shorter than her priestess predecessor. Then, there was the very tangible difference between their species. The very human Kagome would have talked his ear off. This mysterious part demon girl only panted and yipped.


	35. Chapter 35 Distance

Chapter 35 Distance

Sesshomaru wandered quite a distance away from the traveling band of his brother's. It was a fine line between close enough to reach them quickly in the case of an emergency, yet far enough away that he didn't have to constantly smell his brother's unwashed scent. Over the years, he had perfected this means of travel so that the members of his own little group didn't realize the proximity of his kin.

Of course, Rin had been oblivious to anything other than his own self or the flowers she so loved. If it were only her he had to worry about, he could have walked practically in the wake of his half-brother's group. Though, even with her inferior hearing, he was sure the girl would have been able to eavesdrop on some of the louder conversations when the little priestess berated Inuyasha.

Now that his Rin had grown, as all humans do, she no longer traveled with him on his aimless journeys. She had reached an age where the instinct to settle down and remain in one place had overwhelmed her love of travel. It had taken the demon quite by surprise when the young woman had first denied his summons for a trip. Even when the girl had remained in the training of the old, stooped priestess, the child had yearned to be free of the sedentary lifestyle. He had been rather saddened, in his own, I-really-don't-care-about-any-other-living-creature way, to take a good look at the woman who had replaced his exuberant child. She had changed so slowly he had not really paid any attention, but now it was undeniable that she was an adult. It was time to let her go to travel where her own path took her. He had simply turned and walked away.

That had been nearly ten years ago and he still felt the empty space where the childish songs and arguments had resided in his soul. It had taken him quite a while to realize that the dull ache that plagued him was the desire for another child. But, not just any child; he desired one that shared his own blood, and would live a lifespan closer to his own.

A child should not die before her parent. He knew in his heart, that it would wound him greatly when Rin died. Still, he had to acknowledge, that any offspring of his own would also perish before him, even if it were centuries after a human child would expire. He had long ago come to the realization that any heir he produced would not be a full-blooded demon.

He was the last of his race; unless you counted his mother, which he did not. As much as he hated his father for taking a human mate, he would rather tie his life to a human than search for a breeding-age demoness outside his species. Most demonesses were selfish weaklings, hungry only for wealth, trinkets and power. His own mother was no exception. Kagura had been the most worthy demoness he had ever met, and she wasn't even a full demon. Still, she had been lost to him. Besides, humans had some redeeming qualities, or at least, a select few did.

His thoughts about family and breeding bitches were interrupted by the faint scent of blood on the wind. Instantly, he recognized the unique scent as that of Otome. His hackles rose and he instinctively sprinted to close the distance. There wasn't enough to indicate anything serious and his brother's aura was simply surprised. Still, he did not analyze his reasoning, simply reacted.

Sesshomaru found the two men and the demon cat tending to a small injury on the girl's hand, or should he call it a paw? The half-breed and monk seemed saddened, but Otome simply looked about like this was nothing out of the ordinary. A frown darkened the demon's face as he came to the same conclusion as the other males. He had seen the scars, old and new, on the girl's legs and arms. Pain truly was simply an expected part of her existence.

His dark thoughts were lightened a bit later at the antics of the two men. He smirked as he watched them try to explain the position she was to assume on his brother's back. If he had been the type to indulge in simply laughter, he would have chuckled at the monk dropping the girl on Inuyasha's back. Both of their faces were priceless. Still, it was good that his brother decided to carry the girl. It reflected that Inuyasha had matured as a leader to consider the further damage that walking on her injury would cause Otome.

As the group left the shelter of the cove, Sesshomaru decided to follow much closer. It had been a while since he had witnessed his brother's leadership abilities. In the interest of preserving the dignity of the great dog general's bloodline, he needed to assess the whelp's skills. He would also offer 'constructive' criticism on any points that were lacking. At least, those were the rationalizations the demon used to explain his behavior. He never even once admitted, even to himself, that he wanted to keep a closer eye on the girl.


	36. Chapter 36 Settling Down for the Night

Chapter 36 Settling down for the night

The shadows lengthened as the sun crept towards the western horizon. Even though the sky was a glorious glowing mass of reds, yellows and maroons, the girl on Inuyasha's back did not enjoy the show. He had noticed the whip thin body had progressively tensed over the past hour to the point he was sure she would snap like a brittle twig.

They had known that sleeping out in the open would be traumatic for the foundling. She had shown a healthy terror for the shadows of the night, even in the safety of the village. Inuyasha could easily remember his own fear that kept him awake as a child and alert all night when he was alone and unprotected. Many predators hunted in the darkness.

Night was well on its way to enveloping the world of the living when a large white shadow emerged from the tree line before them. Inuyasha had smelled the presence of Sesshomaru for the last half of the day, and he was actually relieved that he had shown himself. A known danger was much easier to accept than an unknown danger.

For only a moment, the stiff girl relaxed and wagged her non-existent tail. A yip of recognition escaped her as she sighted the leader of their pack. If Inuyasha had released her squirming legs, he had no doubt that Otome would have dashed over to his brother and licked the demon's hand.

A flash of jealousy surged through the half-demon at the girl's acknowledgment of the older demon. But just as quickly as it came, it departed. The feeling was more of a knee-jerk reaction left over from years of being afraid that everyone he liked would be taken away from him. He couldn't keep reacting like a selfish brat protecting a toy. The girl was not a possession, and his brother was not truly a threat.

As quickly as the girl had loosened up, she stiffened and resumed her paranoid scan of the surrounding landscape. Inuyasha was actually rather surprised that she didn't trust them to protect her. He thought for sure that Sesshomaru's appearance would calm her nerves. Of, course, when he thought about it, until a few weeks ago, she would have sprinted away from a demon with half of Sesshomaru's power. He would probably be intent on eating her.

The little group stopped for the night beside a stream in an area surrounded by huge boulders. Gnarled trees had grown in the crevices between the rocks but still left an area perfect for a fire. Strategically speaking, this was the safest place Inuyasha could find, short of hiding in a cave. The light from the fire would not seep into the night and give away their position.

Even with the dominant males from her group present, the girl remained stiff and terrified against a boulder. She had found a small indention at the base of a mass of granite and wedged herself in there, as if she were trying to become part of the rock. Her fear was painful to watch. Even in the feeble light of the new fire, the whites of her eyes were visible as she searched the darkness for threats.

Miroku approached the girl with a few strips of dried meat that passed as their dinner. She didn't even acknowledge his presence until he placed the food directly under her nose. For only a second, she glanced down, noticed the meat, and then gobbled it up. Miroku yelped as he drew back his hand that had suffered a few nicks in the feeding frenzy. Inuyasha smirked while he thought, 'at least she didn't take off a finger.'

With an undignified huff, the monk arranged his robes and staff and sat a few feet away from the girl to eat his own dinner. Inuyasha threw enough large logs on the fire to insure it burned throughout the entire night, and then turned towards the boulder. He knew he wouldn't be able to call Otome out from her protected area, so he decided to go to her. He sat near her head and propped his sword against his shoulder. Probably none of them would be able to sleep tonight due to the distress of the girl beside him. It wouldn't help this fragile trust the girl had in the males of her pack if they allowed some wandering demon to harm her. This almost felt like a test they could not afford to fail.

Sesshomaru took his customary position on the other side of the girl. He placed himself far enough away that, if by some strange chance, Otome felt comfortable enough to lay down, she could still touch each of them. He glanced over to his brother and realized that the thought of sharing the attention of his foundling didn't ruffle his fur as badly as it used to.

It took a few hours for exhaustion to pull the terrified girl away from the boulder. She whimpered as she sought Inuyasha's attention. He opened his eyes to see her swaying beside him. It only took a minute for him to realize that his sword prevented her from placing her head in his lap. The instant he moved the weapon to the other shoulder, she collapsed into his lap like a falling tree.

A movement at the corner of his eye drew his attention to the stoic demon beside him. As usual, the girl had stretched her leg out to make contact with Sesshomaru. What wasn't so usual was that the demon had reached out his own hand to make contact with her questing foot. The demon simply stared at Inuyasha, daring him to make a comment.

Self-preservation was a strong instinct in Inuyasha, no matter what his friends might say about leaping head-long into danger. And at that moment, the boy's instincts fairly screamed at him to keep his mouth shut and turn his head. Luckily, before he could act on impulse or instinct, a snuffling sound drew his attention. The little black mass of hair in his lap needed reassurance.

Even though exhaustion had drawn the girl away from her perceived safety, she still seemed anxious to be so exposed. She had turned her back to the darkness, and stared up at the second dominant male with pleading eyes. His deep frown eased and he smirked down at the little female. He felt her body relax a bit at his smile so he reached to scratch her cute, little, black, fuzzy ear. With that simple contact, the girl's golden eyes eased shut.

Inuyasha had spent the remaining hours of the night gently running his claws over Otome's scalp and ear. As dawn neared, a shift in the lump using his leg as a pillow drew him from his deep thoughts. Worry snaked inside him thinking she would again be terrified of the remaining night. He opened his eyes to witness the rousing of the girl. The sound of silk shifting beside him alerted Inuyasha to the attention his half-brother had turned towards the same girl.

Her eyes were barely open, yet she rose from her resting place. The men expected her to shift up to her hands and knees as was her normal action. To their shock, she moved to a sitting position, and then attempted to rise to her feet.

Inuyasha leapt to his own feet to grab her as she wobbled like a new-born fawn. He questioned, "Otome? What the hell are you doing?" Even with his support, the girl staggered like a drunk. She turned her face towards him and responded, "Hmm?" It was then that he noticed that her golden eyes had darkened considerably and resembled the eye color of her human night.

Sesshomaru sniffed discreetly to find if the girl was somehow human again. The timing was wrong. It had not been a full moon cycle. He rose to aid Inuyasha with this unexpected development. With her strange behavior, it was not outside the realm of possibility that she was somehow being controlled.

Inuyasha growled from frustration, "Yo, Runt! Ain't ya gonna answer me? What do you think you are doing?" Again, all he received as a response was a deep, "Hmm?" It was strange to hear her make a noise other than the range of dog-related sounds they had heard so far.

The last person to become aware of the strange event was Miroku. He woke from the volume of Inuyasha's inquiries. Viewing the scene, he swore he was still asleep. Their 'puppy' stood on her hind legs, and stared blankly at his traveling companions. There didn't seem to be any danger to account for the tension in the group, so the monk questioned, "Inuyasha? Did I miss something?"

Inuyasha only grunted towards the monk and growled as he shook the girl. This situation was beginning to remind him of something from the past. Her head snapped back and forth from the shake like a doll with no support. The monk protested, "Stop Inuyasha! You're going to hurt her!"

The confused, dark golden eyes turned towards the loud exclamation. One foot shuffled out in front of the other for only a moment, but it was enough to unbalance Otome. Her unconscious attempt to step towards Miroku resulted in her toppling over. She would have landed on her face except for the hold Inuyasha had on one of her arms. Unfortunately, since he was only supporting half of her, her downward momentum spun her around the dog-eared boy and right into Miroku.

Miroku was shocked to find himself with a half dressed girl sprawled in his lap. Despite his worldly and perverted history, he couldn't prevent the blush that stained his cheeks at the uncomfortable position. He raised his hands up and away from the girl's body to show that he wasn't following his usual inclinations. He knew if he were to ever take advantage of this girl, his life would end by two different sets of claws. His only response was, "Um? What just happened?"

Sesshomaru spoke for the first time all night, "She seems to be asleep with her eyes open." A memory tickled the back of his consciousness as he seemed to recall a similar incident. But he had lived for so long, that he could not filter through everything to pinpoint the event. Eventually, it would come to him. It always did. He had all the time in the world. Until then, he would simply try to expect the unexpected with this girl.

Inuyasha gently released the arm he had grasped. As it was, the girl was essentially laying on Miroku, with only her arm up in the air still. Once released, the girl curled up into a ball and buried her face in the length of purple cloth that covered the monk's leg. In a huff, he lowered himself back to his prior seat and snorted, "I guess we can get a bit more sleep since dawn is still a ways away. You just better watch where those cursed hands of yours go while you're playing pillow. I'd hate for you to have survived the wind tunnel only to lose your life to a different hand-related disaster."

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AN: I must apologize to my devoted readers. Reality interfered with my fictitious world. In the last 3 weeks, I've attended a wedding, painted a landscape for said groom of wedding (gift), taken my son to attend his first ever NASCAR race as Talledega, and had weekend appointments at work.

Also, this chapter marked the end of my original writing spree which spawned the bulk of the other 35 chapters in one weekend before I started this project. Up until now, all I had to do was rearrange the sections into a coherent timeline and edit for grammar and flow.

But fear not. I still have many more scenes already written, and an outline of where this story is going. Unfortunately, all the scenes occur AFTER the trip to the village and Totosai's mountain. So, I will need to do some more creative writing to fill in the gap.

Many readers have questioned if Otome would ever speak or act more human in this story. All I can say without ruining the plot is that all will be revealed eventually, including the girl's strange origins. I hope this little bit of "standing upright" will satisfy those who wanted a bit more human interaction.


	37. Chapter 37 Travel Talk

AN I: Sorry for the long absence. I had an issue with a sinister Trojan-horse virus known as Internet Speed Monitor. I didn't want to upload anything anywhere that might spread this evil, evil little annoyance. It literally hijacks your computer and pops up web pages every 30 seconds to a minute, even if you are not logged onto Internet Explorer. Not only that, but it alters your security settings to allow tracking cookies, and lowers the setting on your firewall. Even if you find and delete the program, it has an exe file imbedded elsewhere that will reload the program the next time you go online. I nearly threw my laptop across the room in frustration after trying to troubleshoot the problem myself. I finally just handed it over to a professional, and sent emails to the possibly affected websites once I got my laptop back with a clean bill of health. So far so good.

AN II: One reviewer asked if Otome would be doing more than acting like a dog. All I can say is; don't give up reading. I'm having fun making her a dog, but she may change in the future. The story will eventually unravel to the point that you will understand all and it will make sense. So please, just bear with me. Good things come to those who wait. And, if for some unforeseen reason I should have to abandon this story, I will post a brief outline of what should have happened in future chapters and why. I won't leave you hanging.

AN III: And now, an extra long chapter and a preview to atone for the long wait you have endured.

Chapter 37 Travel talk

No further strange events occurred that night. Their puppy-like girl slept through the noises as the world awakened to a new day. Poor Miroku had not fallen back to sleep due to his awkward position as a pillow with nowhere safe to place his hands. When the sun cleared the horizon, Otome stirred.

The three males turned in anticipation. Much to their disappointment, the girl was just as canine as she had been the day before. None of the human-like behavior surfaced as it had in the night. Each man wondered if it had just been a strange dream... that they had somehow shared.

The day progressed much the same as the prior day. Sprint until Otome was winded, then walk slowly for a ways. Repeat. Oddly enough, they had yet to come across any threats; human or demon. Miroku offered a prayer of thanks to God, but Inuyasha secretly attributed their good fortune to a less celestial being; one with a temper and a desire for heirloom swords.

As promised, Sesshomaru did not stay with their group. He vanished after sun up and not a single silver hair was seen throughout the day. Inuyasha thought that the old demon slipped away just so he wouldn't have to participate in keeping Otome occupied.

It seemed that the girl had a fairly chaotic and short attention span. Everything distracted her; from butterflies, to strange smells, to rodents that scurried off the path. It was a nearly constant battle to keep her from chasing after the distraction of the moment.

Once, she had even made it into the bushes before Inuyasha noticed and reprimanded her. Tense moments passed before the girl came bounding out with her prize dangling from her mouth. The hint of a smile that had appeared in the tug of war tilted her lips and threatened to loosen her grip on the rat's tail.

For an instant, Inuyasha felt ill. The memory of subsisting as a child on a diet of little vermin like this nearly choked him. This girl had struggled through the same type of life. The only real difference seemed to be that she didn't know that there was any other way to live. For him, he had known the love of family and sorely missed it once he had become an outcast after his mother's death. Did this girl have a mother missing her somewhere? Even if her mother was a full-blooded mononoke, she could show love. Kirara showed a wide range of feelings all the time; more than some humans he knew, or demons for that matter. Maybe they would find clues about Otome's mother in the castle up north.

Miroku made some strangling noises and commented about not putting dirty things in her mouth. The golden eyes swiveled in his direction and seemed to understand what was said. With a simple snap of her head, the girl flipped the rat in the direction of their resident fire-cat demon and opened her mouth. The squealing ball of gray fur sailed gracelessly through the air only to be snatched up by the great jaws of the transformed cat.

After the quick, impromptu snack, Kirara transformed back to her cute cat size and rubbed appreciatively along Otome's arms and side. It seemed the fire-cat had no problem with their dog-like friend. In fact, the cat gave Inuyasha a break from baby-sitting by playing a hilarious game of tag with the girl. It reminded the men of the games the cat used to play with the younger Shippo.

While the 'children' played, there was nothing for the men to do except talk. Miroku casually asked a question as he walked along, "So, what do you think that was all about last night?" The staff he carried jingled soothingly as it struck the ground with every other step.

Inuyasha grunted and frowned, "Maybe we were all dreaming? I mean, how come she suddenly starts acting human after so many weeks?" The thought of her secretly being able to walk upright angered him a bit when he thought about all the times he had to carry the little trouble-maker. If he found out she had faked it, he was going to give her quite the lecture.

Miroku placed a hand thoughtfully to his chin and pondered the possibility. "I rather doubt that the three of us all had the same dream. And I know I was not sleeping after she decided to use me as a pillow. My discomfort was quite real. Do you think she was dreaming? She didn't look completely awake, like she was in a trance." He had seen that look before with his children. He even had one son who would walk in his sleep and sometimes end up in the strangest places. Luckily for the toddler, Kirara knew to accompany him on his nightly strolls to keep him safe.

Inuyasha snorted. "Who knows? Maybe she just suddenly decided to imitate us. I mean, we must look pretty impressive walking around like we do." The arrogance rolled off the half demon as he strutted a bit prouder down the path.

The monk laughed, "Well, be that as it may, and I'm not disputing we look exceptionally good, do you think it will happen again?" They didn't mind having the demonic puppy around, but it would be so much more interesting if she did something more than eat, play and kill something. It would be wonderful if the girl could suddenly talk and tell them the answers to their dozens of questions.

Inuyasha searched ahead of them to see the girl and cat race back towards them. This time, Kirara chased Otome. His brow crinkled in a frown, "I dunno. Maybe she needs to be asleep for her human side to come out. Cause when she's awake, she sure is all dog!"

Miroku pondered this for a moment as he swiftly dodged the blur of girl who tried to take refuge from the tiny firecat behind his purple clad legs. "You mean like when you are in danger and your demon side takes control?"

Inuyasha's face darkened at that comment. He hated when he lost control. He also hated admitting that he lost control. Hopefully, he was strong enough now that his demon would never feel threatened enough to reemerge. "Yea….well….something like that… but it's only a guess."

Kirara jumped up on the monk's shoulder and issued a loud, adoring purr as she rubbed against the side of his head. It never failed that she would run one of her twin tails right under his nose, just like a domesticated cat. Still, the monk's mind was not distracted from their conversation. A disturbing thought grew in his mind, "You don't think she was somehow being controlled do you? I mean, we've seen our fair share of demon possession and puppets."

Inuyasha crossed his arms in his typical gruff manner of annoyance. "Tell me about it." His mind replayed some of the encounters with puppets and puppet-masters.

Kirara stared haughtily down at the ground-level Otome and seemed to issue a challenge with just her eyes. In a flash, the cat leapt off the monk's shoulder and streaked down the path with a happily yipping Otome hot on her heels. Miroku glanced down at his hand that used to house the dreaded wind tunnel. Even though it was gone, he still wore the protective cover and blessed rosary. "You know, even after all these years, I still find myself expecting Naraku to ambush us and laugh about his great plan to lull us into a false sense of safety. I keep expecting someone to pull the rug out from under our peaceful lives." In a nervous gesture, he rubbed his previously cursed hand down the purple robes to relieve the itch of worry.

Golden eyes caught the unconscious movement of his friend. In his best reassuring voice, Inuyasha laughed, "Yea, I know what you mean. But, as long as I'm alive, I'll never let that bastard come back and ruin everything." The swagger in his step only increased. In his mind, he remembered many a similar promise he had made with a certain modern girl by his side.

A true smile graced the monk's face at his friend's declaration. With a hearty slap on the shoulder, Miroku responded, "You know you can count on me and Sango to help, for as long as we are able. Even then, I'm sure some of our children will take up our mantle to defeat any threats to our lives or our village." Sango made sure that all their offspring knew the basics of self-defense and demon slaying. He also passed his experience and wisdom down to the next generation in the event they were called on to stop an evil force similar to the evil spider half-breed. When push came to shove, his children could probably single-handedly defend the village from any demon attack as long as the enemy was weaker than Inuyasha. None of his children had ever come out the victor in their mock battles with the half-dog.

This statement brought Inuyasha's mind back to his ponderings about the aging of his friends from the day before. "Hmm. Speaking of that, what do you think about what Kikyo was saying about you not aging?"

The pensive look returned to the ever-youthful face of the monk "I admit I had not noticed any inconsistencies. Yet, once she mentioned that, I realized she was correct. Neither Sango nor myself show the natural signs of aging. Lady Kikyo is roughly the same age as we are, and yet, her skin and body show the wear and tear of living these past two decades. Neither Sango nor myself even have gray hairs. And, considering some of the adventures we have had slaying demons and raising children, we should both have a healthy crop of gray."

Inuyasha glanced at his friend, half-heartedly searched for gray hairs, wrinkles or age spots. "Why do you think that is?" Not that he really minded, but it was odd. Wouldn't their scent have changed if something had altered their aging?

The monk's sure steps faltered as he slowed to ponder the cause. If they simply assumed Kikyo's statement were true, there had to be a reason. "Well, there is always the chance that our ancestors looked young into their late years, but I don't think that can explain it completely. There may be other factors. The wind tunnel absorbed thousands of demons and their toxins. It's possible that may have had an effect on my body. Still, that doesn't explain Sango." His thoughts churned over other possibilities. A few minutes later, he resumed speaking, "She did have that exposure to the sake jars of Yakurou Dokusen when she was trying to get Hiraikotsu repaired. She spoke of the demons from Hiraikotsu bonding with her. Then again, maybe there was something else in that demon's sake. He admitted that his medicines were also a poison. That same demon gave me medicine to deaden the pain of the poison that was slowly decaying my arm and body. He stated that my medicine was connected to the poison Sango was in. Who knows what that crafty demon was really up to?" Silence fell between them as they remembered that incident in their adventures.

Otome and Kirara returned down the path, panting heavily. It was decided that a quick stop for some water and a breather was in order. As the men leaned against the thick trunk of a tree, they watched the puppy and kitten nap in the sun. Inuyasha resumed their discussion, "Do you think it had anything to do with the jewel shard planted in Sango's body when she first met us?"

Miroku shook the fuzzy, sleepy feeling out of his head that he had gotten as he watched them sleep so unguardedly. "Well, if that were the case, Kohaku would also have the non-aging side-effect. We should probably ask Sesshomaru if he had noticed anything unusual." The monk paused a moment as a small butterfly landed on Kirara's nose and caused the cat to stir. "I've often wondered if that cursed jewel left anything behind in those that used it. Otherwise, how were some demons able to sense the shards that Kagome carried? I always wondered about Lady Kagome's story of Mistress Centipede who initially dragged her down the well. The creature had long been deceased and buried. What triggered it's resurrection in her time and what lead it to believe she had the jewel?"

Inuyasha remembered back to his first waking moments after being resurrected. "I dunno. It was just a stupid low-level demon." The smirk grew on his face as he remembered how easy it was to slaughter, and the look of awe that had graced Kagome's face. In fact, as he thought about it, it was only low-level demons that sought or used the jewel or its shards until Naraku. A frown marred the forehead of the half-demon.

Otome rolled over and blinked sleepy eyes at the two males. She rose and padded over to plop down beside Inuyasha, with her head in his lap. Just as quickly, she returned to sleep. Miroku smiled thinking this might be a longer stop than they had planned. The monk continued their discussion. "Yes, but didn't Sango state that her father had originally found the newly discovered jewel in that very demon after he had slain it? Possibly, the beings that come in contact with the jewel can sense it then after?"

A clawed hand gently stroked the black hair, and worked tangles out of the girl's mane as he thought about that. "Ok, but then, wouldn't Sango have been able to sense the jewel shards, just like the demons could that came after Kagome?"

Miroku had closed his eyes in his traditional meditation pose. "That's a good point. As far as I know, only Lady Kagome was capable of actually seeing the jewels."

Inuyasha stopped his grooming of the girl and stared skyward. In a reverent voice he asked, "Did you ever wonder why? Why couldn't other Priestesses see the jewel? What was so special about Kagome?" Small white clouds meandered over the bright blue sky as his thoughts drifted back to his friend.

The monk opened his eyes at his friend's tone of voice, and glanced towards the half-demon. "Actually, Lady Kaede and I have discussed this matter at length. The closest we can figure is that Lady Kagome didn't just house the jewel, but was in fact, created by the Gods to hide and protect the jewel. It was obvious that she was not only the reincarnation of Lady Kikyo when her soul was removed to animate the clay body that became Kikyo. While it is undisputed that Lady Kikyo's soul was indeed housed within Lady Kagome, there was much more to her than that. Both Lady Kaede and Kanna mentioned the immenseness of Lady Kagome's soul." He had also personally felt the girl's enormous aura on many occasions.

Inuyasha's hand unconsciously stroked Otome's hair and ear again as he tried to digest all that his friend had just said. "So, you think she was the reincarnation of more than just Kikyo? Wow. I wonder who all was in there. Wouldn't it get confusing? I mean, wouldn't they try to take over?"

Kirara roused just enough to join her puppy-like friend in the shade where the men sat. Miroku stopped a moment to decide if he should share the next part with his volatile friend. He finally decided it couldn't hurt and continued in a quiet, non-threatening voice, "Well, actually, although I hate to make this comparison, it is rather like Naraku's body." He hurried through his explanation after he witnessed the look of anger on the half-dog's face. "He absorbed and configured thousands of demons to compose his body. Still, all the parts combined to make something completely new and unique. Naraku was not just Onigumo with a demon body, but Naraku developed an individual personality separate and apart from the demons he absorbed. And when he absorbed new demons, it did not alter his personality at all. I think Kagome's soul was something like that. Many souls combined to create a new and separate soul with the power to house and contain the Shikon jewel."

Inuyasha shifted his leg to rouse the girl that used him as a pillow. As he rose to resume their walk he smiled, "Hmm, maybe that's why the bastard was so afraid of Kagome. Not only was she powerful enough to be a threat to him, but she was sorta like him." What had Kagome always said to him when he called her an idiot, 'Takes one to know one.'

Miroku shifted up with a swish of fabric and a jingle of his staff. The more subdued group headed back down the trail. "True. Where Naraku was composed of many bodies to create his new persona, Kagome was composed of many souls that created her unique personality. And, from what it seemed, Kagome was the only true Master of the jewel. Remember the time the Dark Priestess Tsubaki cursed her through the shards? Somehow, Kagome not only fought against the curse, but managed to start purifying the larger fragment in Tsubaki's possession."

Inuyasha scooped up a medium sized stick and tossed it for Otome to fetch. "Yea, and she did all that with her powers sealed. Just imagine what she could have done if she could have accessed all her powers. I bet Naraku would've run with his tail between his legs. Man, I would have loved to have seen that."

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Preview of Chapter 38 Modern Life

Kagome's life was nearly perfect since the well had deposited her in the Modern era. Although she missed her friends in the Feudal era, she felt that she was performing her duty to her family by excelling in school. Her mother had stressed the need for a good education since she was old enough to read. In this way, she felt she was repaying her mother for her support during her travels to the past.

Kagome's friends didn't miss a beat in their antics and no one mentioned her mystery illnesses. Life went on as it should have. Even Hojo's persistence followed the expected pattern. Not that she was truly interested, but it was nice to have a male interested in just her. Boys of this era just seemed so boring, and two-dimensional. Seriously, who could take a male seriously who worried about skin-care and fashion?

The only fly in the ointment was the persistent nightmares. Her sleep was plagued with hordes of swirling, gnashing demons; every night! There was no end to the torturous nightly visits. No matter how many she killed, they continued to pursue her. If she didn't know better, she would have sworn that they were real. But, in the morning, she woke in the same room, in the same condition, with no physical indication of anything out of the ordinary.


	38. Chapter 38 Modern Life

Chapter 38 Modern Life

Kagome's life was nearly perfect in the weeks that followed the well depositing her in her own time. Although she missed her friends in the Feudal era, she felt that she was performing her duty to her family by excelling in school. Her mother had stressed the need for a good education since she was old enough to read. In this way, she felt she was repaying her mother for her support during her travels to the past.

Kagome's friends didn't miss a beat in their antics and no one mentioned her mystery illnesses. Life went on as it should have before the well interrupted. Even Hojo's persistence followed the expected pattern. Not that she was truly interested, but it was nice to have a male interested in her, just for her. Boys of this era just seemed so boring, and two-dimensional. Seriously, who could take a male seriously who worried about skin-care and fashion?

The only fly in the ointment was the persistent nightmares. Her sleep was plagued with hordes of swirling, gnashing demons; every night! There was no end to the torturous nightly visits. If she didn't know better, she would have sworn that they were real. But, in the morning, she woke in the same room, in the same condition, with no physical indication of anything out of the ordinary. All that was left was a lingering sense of exhaustion and the feeling of being hunted.

She tried not to read too much into the nightmares. She told herself that there were no demons in her era. But, she remembered the Noh mask. It nagged at her during her normal school day.

Days stretched into weeks which stretched into months. She attended school, posted good grades, tended the shrine and hung with her childhood friends. The monotony comforted her with its boredom. It had been so long since she could actually complain about being bored. So, she was relatively happy. The only way she could be happier was if there were some way to have her modern family and her Feudal family both. Once a week she attempted to pass through the well only to hit the dry dirt at the bottom.

Loneliness occasionally distracted her from doing her best as a student, daughter and friend. Even when she was in the middle of her friends and class, she got the strange sensation that all those people weren't really there. She found the feeling occurring in other settings as well. When she was on the train, surrounded by people pushing in on all sides, she felt more alone than when she was alone. It was a terrible, yawning emptiness deep inside her.

A new development frightened her more than the other sensations. She was at the county fair, surrounded by hundreds of people, when at the periphery of her vision; she swore she saw the swooping demons from her nightmares. But when she turned her head in fright, there was nothing there but flashing lights and milling people. This made her question her sanity. She had spent the rest of the night practically glued to her brother's side.

Unfortunately, this wasn't an isolated incident. She once walked past a store front, window shopping, when she thought she saw a reflection of a horde of hungry demons looming behind her. When she spun to look behind her, there was nothing there but other shoppers. The feeling left her unsettled and upset as she quickly made her way home to hide in her room.

Once she was lazily flipping around on the T.V. and a horrible, red-eyed demon appeared in the fraction of a second between one channel and the next. She tried to ignore the startling vision, but couldn't remain sitting in front of the set. She turned it off and rose to join her Mom in the kitchen. Just as she left the room, she swore she heard a sinister growl come from the set. She jumped and dropped all pretense of remaining cool and sprinted to the kitchen.

As the weeks progressed through her second year in high school, the demon glimpses increased. Finally, she just couldn't handle the fear on her own and confided in her Mom. As expected, her Mom listened and empathized, then down-played the seriousness of the incidents. It was probably just post-traumatic stress and her imagination. As long as no one was being harmed, it didn't seem to be too big of a crisis. When her grandfather learned of the sightings, he made sure to stuff her pockets with ineffectual sutras.

A month after confiding in her Mom, at the beginning of her last year in high school, Kagome experienced her first physical effect of the sightings. She was in the crowded hallway at school, when she felt a demonic aura seconds before something sharp ripped across her forearm. With a gasp, she spun and scanned the teaming students. Her friend asked in shock, "Kagome, what happened to your arm? You're bleeding!" Sure enough, blood was seeping into the long white sleeve of her uniform. Her hands trembled as she unbuttoned the cuff and slid the fabric up to her elbow. Four angry slashes scored the skin on her forearm. She was so in shock at the sight, that she didn't even know when her friends had led her to the nurse.

That night, she revealed the incident to her mother. The look of concern on her Mom's face twisted Kagome's gut with guilt for making the loving woman worry. "Oh, my, Kagome. What do you think is happening? I thought you said there were no demons in this era? Maybe we should seek the advice of someone more equipped to handle these types of situations. Grandpa has a friend at one of the larger shrines who routinely performs exorcisms and blessings. Maybe he can help us."

Kagome shivered at the thought of telling someone else. "But Mom, how can I tell him about what's happening without telling him everything about the Feudal era and the Shikon jewel?"

Her mother chewed on her thumbnail, "Well, I guess you'll just have to interview the Priest and do what you think is best based on what your instincts tell you."

Two days later, she sat in the waiting room for the Priest. It was a nice enough waiting room, but something felt off; just a bit. It felt as if she looked too closely at her surroundings, the venire of normalcy would fall and reveal the evil lurking underneath.

A kind, motherly looking woman opened the door and said, "You may enter Ms. Higarashi." With butterflies the size of ravens, Kagome took a deep breath and entered the office of the man she prayed could help her. The woman gestured to a vinyl covered chair before a desk. Behind the desk, a high-back office chair obscured the priest who was clicking away at an older model computer keyboard.

A sense of ominous foreboding gripped her as she heard the hinges on the chair squeak as the priest swiveled about to greet her. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked at the familiar handsome face surrounded by inky, wavy hair. As her vision faded into a sea of whiteness, the only thing she could croak out was, "Naraku!" Then the sound of someone worriedly calling her name faded into white noise as she fainted dead away.


	39. Chapter 39 Totosai's at last

Chapter 39 Totosai at last

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Miroku settled himself at one of the old gnarled trees that edged the toxic mountain that housed Totosai's workshop. No human could survive on the upper elevations of the volcano with all the poisonous fumes. He felt a twinge of concern about whether Otome could withstand the elements as well as the demons. It had never bothered Inuyasha, so the men hoped the same would hold true for the girl. Miroku set up a base camp in the event their hopes went unrealized

With instructions to watch for any reaction to the vapors, Kirara perched precariously on Otome's upper back. She would have sat on the girl's shoulder if she walked upright like a normal human. But since her mode of travel was hands and knees, the plane of her small back was more accessible.

At the top of the volcano, the remnants of Totosai's cave became visible. Large circular sections had been carved away from the giant skull by the last time Sesshomaru had visited. In his anger, the demon lord had tossed several Meidous at the cantankerous old demon who would not answer his questions.

The strange three eyed bull stood beside the deformed skull entrance, pleasantly munching what little vegetation could grow in such a toxic environment. Without even a knock or hello, Inuyasha and Otome barged in on the sleeping demon. Inuyasha rudely kicked the figure and shouted, "Hey, you old fart, wake up!"

Totosai's giant bugged-out eyes snapped open and he swung his blacksmithing hammer out of reflex. A moment later, the old demon sat up and scratched his head, "Oh, Inuyasha. What are you doing on my floor?" A large welt rose between the half-dog's ears and his face turned red with anger.

Quicker than anyone could blink, Inuyasha was up on his feet and landed a fist down on Totosai's bald head. "Oi, you old coot. What the hell was that for? I just came to ask you a question about something you built."

Totosai stood and scratched his butt as he looked around his open-air cave. His bulbous eyes fell on Otome. "Well, Inuyasha. Why didn't you tell me you were bringing Kagome up here? I would have cleaned up a bit. A bachelor's cave is no place for a lady." The old demon adopted a very sly look and elbowed his irate visitor. "Did you come for a mating band? I make some elegant pieces. Can even infuse them with protective properties. Although, the last one I made turned evil and caused the poor young woman to go mad. Hmm… maybe I could just make a wedding present of a nice simple dagger?"

Inuyasha tensed up and turned his eyes to look at Otome. For just a moment, he could understand how the old coot would think this was Kagome. There was a slight facial resemblance, but Otome held none of the grace and innate kindness that his late friend had possessed. Anger built in the half-demon as Totosai continued his rant. Finally, it was just too much, and Inuyasha's fist came down on the old demon's head again.

"You idiot! That ain't Kaomge! This is just some injured stray that Sesshomaru found and brought to us to tend." He reached into the full red sleeves of his fire-rat robe and removed a hunk of metal. "I came to ask you about this slave collar that you forged. What can you tell me about this?" And with that, he tossed the locking mechanism from the hated collar across the cave.

With a shocking dexterity for his age, Totosai caught the missile and examined it closely. "You say I forged this? Hmm. Doesn't look like something I would normally make. It's in terrible shape. How could someone have treated one of my creations so badly?!" Tears leaked from his huge eyes as he continued. "Must have been a specially ordered piece. I seem to recall a demon coming a while back looking for a peculiar slave outfit for a special pet. Something about a human dog. I had no idea what he meant, but he paid well, so I created it to his specifications."

Inuyasha motioned Otome closer and gestured towards her, "Well, we got this collar off of her. She was also wearing some strange metal chest armor and chastity belt." For emphasis, Inuyasha moved his hand towards the girl's neck. He moved her hair and pulled the collar of her outfit down to reveal the horrible scars.

If possible, the blacksmith's huge eyes grew in size at the sight. He moved over towards the cowering girl and cooed, "Oh you poor thing. How could someone do something so terrible." He turned and yelled at Inuyasha again, "How could you let someone mistreat Kagome so?! I thought you were supposed to protect her with your life? Your father would be soooo disappointed."

It took all his self-control for Inuyasha to close his eyes and clench his fists to keep from pounding the insane demon into the ground. His voice gritted out between his clamped teeth, "That ain't Kagome you senile old fool." He took a calming breath. "I need to know anything you can tell me about the demon that commissioned this getup."

Totosai turned and retrieved a small dagger and resumed his seat by his fire. As he polished the edge, he reminisced, "If I recall correctly, he was a very human looking demon. Black hair, rather tall, though not as tall as Sesshomaru. Now there is a demon I hope not to see again any time soon. Did you see the damage he did to my cave the last time he was here? Throwing Meidous around without a care for health and home. I thought I was dead for sure. I had a mind to just destroy the Tenseiga and let him suffer on his own. Ungrateful wretch. Your father had such great hopes for him to surpass himself in strength and compassion."

Inuyasha listened to the rambling as long as he could then hollered, "About the demon that came for the collar!!!"

Totosai's eyes focused again on Inuyasha. "Oh, Inuyasha? When did you get here? And why did you bring Kagome? Don't you know that a human can't survive on my mountain?"

The boy's ears twitched convulsively as he tried to steer the senile old demon back to their topic of discussion. "You were telling 'Kagome' here about the special slave collar that someone commissioned a few decades ago. She really wants to know who it was."

That was all it took. The old demon rambled back onto the topic at hand. "Ah yes. He was a strange demon. He looked like a damn sissy, if you ask me. All dressed fancy. Had the face of a girl. Didn't smell right, though. He didn't look like a dog, but he carried that smell on his clothes. If I didn't know better, I would have said he smelled like a human, or at least part human. Might have been a half-breed. Couldn't really tell. He haled from the North and said his Master had a rare pet that needed extra protection. Something about competition with other breeders. He wanted special dense metal on the armor so nothing could penetrate it. I think he was afraid someone was going to assassinate the pet, either that, or kidnap it and try to force breed it. That's the only reason I could think of for a bobby-trapped collar and a chastity belt."

Inuyasha tried to remember every detail that came out of the old coot's mouth. He had to admit, for being as forgetful as the blacksmith was, when his brain worked, he was pretty amazing. So, he tried to tease out a little more information, "Is there any way you could tell 'Kagome' the name of the demon's Master or the village he was from?"

The old eyes closed in a moment of deep thought. When they opened he looked straight at Inuyasha. "I think the Master was called Toyomi from the province of Shimotsuke. I never went there, so that's all I know. I hope that helps you and Kagome."


	40. Chapter 40 Effects of the Fumes

Chapter 40 Effects of the Fumes

With a sigh and a wave, Inuyasha clucked for Otome to follow him, and they descended down the mountain. Miroku rose to greet them with an expectant look on his face. "Did you learn anything useful, Inuyasha?"

A half smile quirked the boy's face as he responded, "Actually yea. We're headed to the northern province of Shimotsuke to look for a castle owned by a Toyomi. His servant was a tall, black haired male who dressed fancy and had the face of a girl. Oh, and he smelled like a human or half-human." He bent to help repack their traveling gear as Miroku turned to break camp.

Behind the men, the sounds of retching was heard. In a flash, the two turned to find Otome bent almost in half as she lost the contents of her stomach in a nearby bush. "Otome!" Inuyasha shouted as he moved towards her side. Miroku rushed towards the pack to retrieve some water and a cloth.

Inuyasha tried to move the girl, but she was not done heaving. Her body bowed up like an angry cat as it continued its efforts to purge her system of any food. For an instant, Inuyasha was happy that her hair was not any longer; otherwise it would have dragged in the mess she was making. Miroku carefully wiped the nape of her neck with the cold, wet cloth as he waited for her body to relax. When her back began to ease, he gently moved her hair and wiped her face and mouth. He had been through many an illness with his children, and could handle almost anything.

Finally, when the episode was over, she literally fell onto her side like she had been pushed. Inuyasha took one look at her sickly pale face and swirling eyes and cursed, "Damn! I didn't think the fumes effected her. She didn't seem bothered at all the whole time we were on the mountain. I should have known since she is so human."

Miroku chided, "Don't be too hard on yourself, Inuyasha. She probably couldn't tell it was bothering her, and even if she could, she had no way of telling you. I'm sure she'll be fine in just a little bit. She's probably susceptible to strong scents like you are to Sango's exterminator powders."

Inuyasha grumbled, "Well, it can't be helped. I'll carry the little turd. But is she throws up on me, I'm leaving her on the side of the road!"

Not even a few minutes into their renewed trek, the sick Otome lapsed into unconsciousness. Inuyasha felt her body go slack and glanced at the pale, sweating face that was propped on his left shoulder. He remembered how awful that felt and so wasn't overly concerned. His powerful nose had been used against him in more than one instance. Being unaware was probably the best thing for the girl right then.

Miroku continued to glance over at the bundle of girl on Inuyasha's back and wondered if there was anything he could do to make her feel better. With his children, certain herbs helped settle their stomachs and relieve the ache that accompanied the muscles spasms. He reapplied cool water to the cloth he had draped over the back of her neck.

They had barely walked out of sight of their temporary base camp when a huge demonic aura emerged to their right. Miroku turned in that direction and withdrew a handful of sutras. Inuyasha cursed under his breath. Beside him, Kirara morphed into her large form and reached over to grab the girl by the scruff of her collar. With a flick of her massive head, the fire-cat tossed the girl onto her back and launched up into the air. Inuyasha smirked, "Thanks, Kirara." A growling roar answered him as he turned to face the threat.

It was a fierce battle; tougher than the men had experienced in several years. Still, it was invigorating to flex their skills on a higher level opponent. The end result was almost the same as always. Inuyasha and Miroku emerged the victors. The only deviation from the norm was that now both men were covered in a noxious glaze of demon guts. Inuyasha groused, "I miss the days when Kagome would just purify the little shits and we wouldn't get messy." Miroku smiled as he reminisced over the same thing.

Kirara swooped down, being careful to remain upwind of the traveling companions. Both men were surprised to see Otome sitting up on the back of the fire-cat, hands fisted in her fur. In only one glance, it was obvious that the girl was once again asleep with her eyes open. The look on her face was blank and confused.

The boys approached cautiously. The last time, she had tried to stand, and ended up face down in Miroku's lap. The monk made sure to stay a step behind Inuyasha. He decided the half-demon could be the one to be inconvenienced this time.

Inuyasha reached his clean hand towards the girl who shifted to look at him. If she was going to tumble off Kirara, he wanted to have a good hold on her arm. The dazed eyes blinked then focused on his face. She blinked again and reached out to him also. Her hand fingered the beads on his subjugation necklace, and then lifted to caress his jaw. The now brown eyes rose to stare at his twitching white ears. A bit of demon goo clung to his left ear, and Otome reached to brush it off. After she flicked it away, her hand rubbed the sweet, fuzzy appendage. A hint of a smile blossomed on her dazed face.

Miroku watched in awe at the very human actions of their previously canine friend. It amazed him to see the change up close. What was also striking was the effect that the smile had on her resemblance to Kagome. If he didn't know better, he would swear this was her. But the final shock was when her little grin opened, and the softest, breathy voice he had ever heard whispered, "Inuyasha." as if it were a prayer.

The poor half-demon didn't know what to think. For weeks, the group had tried to get Otome to speak in something other than barks, whimpers and whines. They had finally resigned themselves to the fact that she couldn't speak. Now, in her sleeping state, she spoke his name as if she hadn't seen him in months and had wanted to.

In an equally reverent voice, Inuyasha whispered, "Otome? What…what are you doing?" To her credit, the girl smiled again and said, "Hmm?" Inuyasha's face fell. This was how she responded the other time she had acted strangely in the middle of the night. "Can you say my name again?" She tilted her head slightly to the side and hummed again. Determined, he tried again, "Who am I?" The breathy voice came again, "Inuyasha."

Shocked at the exchange, Miroku moved within arm's length of the girl. The movement dragged her coffee colored eyes to the monk. The smile dimmed a bit as she reached for his right hand. In the strangest move yet, the girl grasped his formerly cursed hand and traced the cold rosary beads. She studied the hand, and slowly moved the beads and drew back the purple fabric that covered his palm. Her gentle, clawed finger traced the blemish free skin and a smile broke out on her face. The monk's breath hitched at the look on her face and he had to ask, "Who am I?" That wispy voice rang again, "Miroku."

Inuyasha stared at his friend in a bewildered state. In his gut he knew this wouldn't last any longer than the other incident had. Still, he felt a burning desire that it could. She was fun as a puppy, but what would she be like as a human? Even on her human nights, she wasn't like this.

The alert state seemed to wear off quickly as her eyes glazed over a bit again, and she began to sway back and forth on the back of Kirara. A very canine whine emitted from the girl's throat as she frowned at Inuyasha. The sound ended in a faint, whispered, "No." But, before the men could respond, her little head slumped forward, and she nearly pitched to the ground in a dead sleep.

Miroku released a disappointed sigh, "Well, it's a shame that couldn't last longer." With a strange look on his face, the monk replaced his habitual hand coverings and shook his head. She had seemed to know something about his cursed hand and had smiled at finding nothing. Maybe it was just an instinct or maybe he was reading more into her actions.

Inuyasha carefully balanced the once again unconscious Otome on Kirara's back and grunted, "Well, I guess we should clean this shit off of us so we can continue our journey. I sure can't carry her without a bath."

As the group searched for a water source, Otome began to stir. The men held their breath to see who they would face. Unfortunately, their normal Otome greeted them. She was back to the same canine behavior they had experienced for over six weeks. At the sight of water, the small woman seemed to concur with her companions that a bath would be beneficial.

It seemed like a simple task. Surely two grown men could wash and bathe one girl/woman/puppy. Miroku was the first to voice his concern about protecting the girl's modesty. So it was decided, that they would wash her as best they could with her current outfit on, then close their eyes while they disrobed her to finish. They would also keep their eyes closed while they redressed her in clean clothes. Simple enough, right?

Wrong. First, they had underestimated the exuberance of said girl at the sight of the little stream. Inuyasha would have sworn she was part otter the way she loved water. Maybe her mononoke parents had been swimming dogs? Their second error had been thinking that they could control the girl with their eyes closed. This seemed to signal to the girl that she could do whatever she wanted. In the end, the men had decided that they were just going to have to look to see what they were doing, and where she was going.

What they found was a totally soaked Otome, crouched on the side of the stream, with Miroku's fundoshi in her mouth. He shrieked in indignation and lunged at the girl to retrieve his only article of under-clothing. To her ultimate delight, she danced just out of reach and shook the strip of cloth at the naked monk. Thus began a half hour of 'naked tag.' Inuyasha could have ended the game with a few well-placed growls, but in truth, he got nearly as much enjoyment out of watching the monk flail as the girl did by causing his distress.


	41. Chapter 41 Separation Anxiety

Chapter 41 Separation Anxiety

Sesshomaru approached the group a few days later. He had several responsibilities that demanded his attention, including patrolling for rogue demon incursions into his territory. A strange pack of wolves had been sniffing around some of his villages on the eastern edge of his lands. The scent had disturbed the demon lord enough that he stayed in that area longer than usual. Luckily, the threatened area boasted a few of his stronger villages, and he made his presence known and felt. A few precisely felled trees with his scent markers and he left confident that the wolves could not mistake the ownership of this territory. Any further migration could not be considered an accident.

He drifted north as he searched for his brother's group. He found them in the province of Shimotsuke. He was happily surprised to find they had covered a greater distance than he had expected. It caused an uneasy feeling in the demon lord to tread in other territories, but he knew he had the skill to repel any attack.

He found the small group setting up camp dangerously close to a truly hostile village. Had they not sensed the animosity? Considering his brother's stunted senses and the monk's holy powers, it was quite likely they dismissed the human village. Sesshomaru, on the other hand, could not. He had personal knowledge of the treatment that anyone with demon blood would receive in this area.

A smirk broke the demon lord's blank face as he heard Inuyasha's irritated voice shouting the girl's name. It seemed that there was another benefit to having other responsibilities to attend. As he cleared the tree line and came within sight of the group, a black blur raced to intercept him. To preserve his dignity, he side-stepped the approaching impact. What startled him was that the girl shifted her track to match his avoidance. Due to her speed, there was no way to dodge a second time. The small girl collided into the white demon's legs with such force, that they both ended up on the ground in a most undignified heap.

Inuyasha's amused voice echoed through the clearing, "I guess that explains why she was misbehaving. She makes for a pretty good warning system." Miroku stifled his own laughter but had to agree, "Indeed. She is quite exuberant at Lord Sesshomaru's approach."

The white demon growled a reprimand to the girl who was currently wagging her non-existent tail all over the place. "Inuyasha, I thought you taught her some manners. This behavior is unacceptable." The girl stilled and crawled away to hide dejectedly behind Inuyasha's legs.

Something in him twitched as he watched the girl's fear. He disliked disciplining her, but it was for her own good. Sesshomaru changed the subject, "Tell me of Totosai."

Miroku reported, "Apparently the individual who ordered the slave trappings was a demon who either looked human, or was a half-human. He was tall, dark haired and had the face of a woman. His Master was named Toyomi from this province. We have made a few inquiries and found that the castle was in this general area."

The demon lord chose a wide tree to sit against as he digested this information. It would make their search much easier to know the target. As the night drew closer, he looked to his brother and the girl. "Does she still cower in the darkness?" It was the one thing that truly bothered him about leaving the little group. She had drawn some comfort from his presence, and he had hoped she did not suffer while he was gone.

Inuyasha chose his own tree for a resting spot and huffed, "Nah. She's pretty much used to it, but she still doesn't wander off too far." She actually crawled on her belly up to Inuyasha and whimpered to gain his approval. He patted her head and lazily rubbed her cute, fuzzy black ears.

He had to know, "Why are you camped so close to such a hostile village? Surely you know of their animosity towards non-humans, or did you just not sense the anger?" Miroku bowed as he stacked the kindling for the small cook fire. "Actually, Lord Sesshomaru, we have narrowed down the location for the castle ruins to just outside this town. We are hoping that some of the villagers either worked at the castle, or knew of the events there."

Sesshomaru frowned at the thought of entering such a place. The monk would be fine, but the rest of them would not receive a warm welcome. "Perhaps the monk should go alone to question the inhabitants. They have been known to attack demons without provocation."

Inuyasha snorted. "It ain't like anything we haven't encountered before. We can handle anything they could throw at us. And we all know you…" he gestured towards the demon lord, "can withstand any purification thrown at you. So what's the worry?"

The snowy head tilted to look condescendingly at his brother and mocked, "I was not thinking of your safety, half-breed, but of the girl using you as a pillow. If she truly came from this area, she might not be received well. There may be standing orders from their Master to capture his most unique pet."

Miroku scratched his chin. "You have a good point there. Perhaps it would be wiser for me to enter alone. I can gather information and not raise any suspicion."

Inuyasha disagreed, "I don't want you going in alone. What if you got in some sort of trouble? For all we know, they could have a harem of beautiful maidens to tempt you. Sango would kill me if something bad happened to you."

The unrepentant grin that broke on the monk's face was reminiscent of his younger days, "I assure you, my good man, I can handle a harem of beautiful women on my own. Your prowess with the fairer sex would probably get in the way."

The "man" in question only snorted through his nose, then teased, "It was actually the fathers of the harem that I was worried about."

Sesshomaru listened to the teasing banter as he formed his own ideas. It was true that it would be safer if both the men searched the village. It was also true that Otome could not enter the village or be left alone. So, being the generous, benevolent demon lord that he was (yes, this was his own joke in his own head), he offered, "Leave the girl. We shall search the area for anything familiar." He then made a canine sound to bring the girl over to him.

Otome's ears twitched at the noise. She turned questioning yellow eyes towards the demon that had reprimanded her earlier. While Inuyasha blustered and ranted about what a bad idea Sesshomaru's plan was, the girl crawled submissively over to the seated demon. As she neared his hand, she visibly flinched when his hand moved.

Sesshomaru felt something inside him shift uncomfortably as he watched her cower and flinch. She should not fear him so. He had never struck her and he never would. Perhaps it was a reaction from something in her past. He had known many a dog that once beaten, would always cower in fear at the approach of any authority figure. He wondered if it was the same with his foundling. Had her Master beaten her as a tiny pup? Had she been captured over the years she had been free and mistreated? She had a healthy distrust of strangers, perhaps it was the latter. He could see her approaching a village like the one nearby in her ignorance in her new-found freedom after her escape. He could also easily imagine the villagers chasing her away with sticks and stones, or capturing her and harming her. He had to tamp down his natural reaction to raze the village to the ground in retribution for their imagined cruelty to this innocent girl.

With a very slow and deliberate movement, Sesshomaru reached for the girl and pulled her closer. The most she would ever dare was to barely touch him in her sleep. He appreciated her respect, but he wanted her trust more. So, he shifted the still cowering girl into the same position she had taken with his brother. He gently placed her head on his thigh and began to stroke her hair and ears as his brother had.

The girl remained stiff. Her confused yellow eyes darted questioningly about his face and body. She seemed coiled to spring away at the first moment that the demon stopped paying attention. Still, he continued to gently stroke her like a cat.

He could actually feel the instant that she realized she was not going to be punished for her earlier slight to his person. The tenseness melted out of her body and she nuzzled her head against his thigh in affection. The confusion left her eyes and a look of joy and trust shone in its place.

Something warm and fuzzy grew in the demon's chest. It was a strange sensation that he had not felt since so long ago with Rin. He felt a strange sort of joy that this little girl trusted him. When she closed her eyes and drifted to sleep in the same position, the warm glow grew.

It was after his interactions with Otome, after she had drifted to sleep, that he tuned back into the conversation of the other males in the group. From what he heard, it seemed that they had agreed to leave Otome in his care while Inuyasha and Miroku scoured the village for clues. A sly grin crossed the demon's face. He loved it when others took his suggestions and turned it around to where they thought it was their own idea. He didn't care about being given credit for a plan; he only cared about results.

So with the plan set, the men settled down to sleep. Inuyasha glanced over to the sleeping girl who was using his brother as a pillow. He felt a twinge of jealousy. She had only ever slept in his lap. It had made him feel special. Now, his brother shared in that honor. With a sigh, the half-dog settled down close enough to Sesshomaru that if Otome turned over, like she usually did, he would be close enough for her to flop on him.

He secretly hoped she would do just that, to show his brother who she liked better, but that was unfair. She would be traveling with the demon lord while they searched the village, so it made sense that she needed to be comfortable with his brother. Also, it was unfair to the girl to make her choose one over the other. She had respected both of them as superiors in her 'pack' and it made the half-demon feel good that he was an equal to Sesshomaru in her eyes. Luckily, they had yet to experience a situation where she had to choose between conflicting orders from the two of them. So far, the brothers had been quite in sync as far as the girl was concerned.

Sesshomaru seemed to know what his brother was thinking as he remarked, "I will not take her from your pack, Inuyasha." He continued stroking the cute, black, fuzzy ears. "But I am intrigued by the mystery that is this girl." And no more was said as they all drifted in their own thoughts until sleep claimed them.

Sesshomaru woke the next morning to an extreme close-up of Otome's face. In fact, she leaned up against him; her paws braced on his chest, and licked his nose. In his shock, he almost released an intimidating growl of disapproval, but stopped himself as he remembered her cowering last night. Instead, he gently patted her head and pushed her down off. She wiggled and danced about him as he rose from his sleeping position to survey the camp. Hopefully, no one had witnessed his less than proper awakening.

Unfortunately, that wish was not to be granted on this lovely morning. Inuyasha and Miroku were practically pee-ing themselves to hold in their amusement at his expense. Once they made eye contact with the glowering demon lord, they could not contain the peals of laughter any longer. It took some pretty serious threatening and the reminder of their mission to calm the two men. Still, the occasional giggle escaped them as they struck camp.

Otome simply sat on her rump and watched the commotion. She had become used to the routine. Wake; pack; eat; walk. Inuyasha had broken her of her habit of trying to run off and play during the preparations to leave. She seemed to know that he wanted her to stay still until they started their multi-mile hike.

This morning was different. When Miroku and Inuyasha moved to leave camp, she rose to accompany them. Instead, the demon lord beside her issued a command in canine for her to stay. Her head whipped about to stare up at him in confusion. She whimpered. Then she turned to start after the others again.

This time, Inuyasha issued the command for her to stay as he looked over his shoulder. They didn't stop walking. She stopped but called out to him in a pitiful whine. It was obvious she had no clue as to why the men she had traveled with for the past week were leaving her behind.

Sesshomaru again issued the command for her to stay. She rose to her hands and knees and paced back and forth at his feet, watching the others move away. The pitiful whine turned into a plaintive whimpering call for them to return. Her yelps grew in volume as the men grew smaller. Still, she didn't disobey.

Once the men disappeared past a bend in the road, the girl let out a lonely howl that echoed through the tiny clearing. Sesshomaru resumed his seat from last night and clucked to get the forlorn girl's attention. She turned glistening eyes towards the remaining male. With her head bowed, she slowly padded over to him and sat beside his leg. The large male gently stroked her hair and ears in a comforting gesture and began to speak to her in human and canine.

Sesshomaru wouldn't let on how disturbed he was to witness the girl's upset. He knew she would be unhappy, but he didn't know how it would affect him. It was an almost burning pain similar to purification. He spoke to her, in every language she could possibly understand, to explain the reason for the separation and that it was only temporary. Still, he was unsure if she understood. Finally, she lay down against him and simply accepted his kindness as the morning wore on.


	42. Chapter 42 Clues in the Ruins

AN: I just wanted to get this posted since I've been working on it all weekend and I need to get out and finish Christmas. Any spelling errors will be corrected in the near future, so please forgive this rough draft. I just HAD to post it.

AN2- Chapter 41 was posted late last night, so if you didn't read it yet, start there. Thanks.

Chapter 42 Clues in the Ruins

A few hours had passed when the girl's stomach rumbled in complaint. It had been so long since Sesshomaru had traveled with companions, he had forgotten to take her needs into consideration. The boys had left before any meal had been served, so it was up to him to feed this depressed girl.

In the weeks she had stayed with Inuyasha, the demon lord had not seen if Otome could hunt. Obviously, she could find enough food to have survived over the years, but he had not witnessed it. With a simple word, he conveyed to Otome that they needed to hunt. Her ears perked up, and so did her whole demeanor. She jumped up and pranced eagerly in her impatience. With a single gesture, the pair sprinted off into the woods to enjoy nature's bounty.

Two rabbits and three birds later, the two sat preening beside a small babbling stream. There was nothing quite as satisfying as a good meal and good companions. Practically speaking, Sesshomaru considered the girl one of the best traveling partners he had ever known, because she was nearly totally silent. There was none of the squawking that accompanied Jaken, and none of the songs and giggling of the younger Rin. There was none of the annoyance of his dreaded half-brother and none of the perverted interactions of the monk and slayer. It was just peaceful.

Otome washed her messy hands in the cold stream and licked them dry. She had shown rather good hunting skills for such a strange human. He still couldn't quite think of her as a part-demon because of her mostly human smell. His senses could only consider her a human that someone had grafted demon ears and claws onto.

Suddenly, the wind shifted and the girl stilled as she faced upwind. Something had her on alert, so the demon lord took a gentle sniff. In a flash, she was gone in a whirl of dirt and leaves.

Sesshomaru stood and cursed his luck in his head. Things had been so nice and restful. Now he had to exert himself to follow his foundling. It would serve her right if he just let her wander off and get horribly lost. As he shifted into his fastest run, the image of the girl, alone, cowering in terror in the night left a painful knot in his gut.

It was not hard to track Otome. She ran in a mostly straight line towards the far side of the city. Sesshomaru tried to call her to a halt, but she was so focused, she didn't seem to realize that she would be traveling straight through the hostile village. With another curse at having to work so hard just after eating, the demon leapt into the air and vanished, only to appear directly in the path of the comet that was Otome.

He knew trying to stop her was futile, so he ran parallel to her course, and simply reached down to wrap an arm around her waist and lifted her to where she couldn't touch the ground anymore. The growl he emitted left no doubt in the canine's mind that she was in some serious trouble. She hung limp under his arm and whimpered an apology. 'This is getting to be a habit.' thought the great demon. Still, in his youth, he remembered his philosophy of asking for forgiveness instead of permission. He couldn't be too angry without being a total hypocrite.

Sesshomaru couldn't miss the commotion that their appearance caused in the demon-hating village. It would have been too easy if they had gone undetected. And the worst part was the recrimination he knew Inuyasha would be throwing his way later. It was his job, after all, to keep the girl occupied and out of the sight of these very villagers who were now gawking at him. All about him, calls of "demon" and cries to "rescue the child from the evil demon" echoed between the squalid huts. If he had to, he would make a few of the louder ones into examples for the rest of the population on why it wasn't good to taunt a demon lord. Even the bundle of girl tucked under his one arm wouldn't hinder him from melting a few of these disgusting peasants.

With all the dignity he could muster, the white demon strode out of sight and towards the scent that had attracted the girl. Now that they were on the other side of the stench that was the village, he could smell it better. There seemed to be a strong, concentrated smell of demons.

In a clearing that had not quite been reclaimed by the encroaching forest, the pair found the remains of a burned structure. Could this have been the place of Otome's birth? It seemed likely, due to the location and smell. He placed the girl on the ground, with a stern warning about wandering away so they could both investigate the ruins closely.

The place had been made up of two main connected buildings and several outbuildings. As in most "castles" of this time, the main compound was surrounded by protective walls and smaller structures encircled the walls; the remnants of the dwellings of those who worked in the castle.

Sesshomaru internally shook his head at the poor building skills of even the wealthiest humans. Everything was made of wood and paper, except the protective walls. Whereas those were made of packed earth and stone, they were woefully short to have been effective in repelling an attacking force. He eyed the crumbled walls and realized that even a human child would have been able to scale them easily. No wonder the inhabitants had perished. Arrogant idiots!

He noticed that the girl's demeanor had completely changed upon entering the clearing. She was cautious and wary. If he didn't know better, he would swear that she was expecting some horror to lurch up out of the vine covered debris. In that instant she resembled more a nervous cat than the curious, energetic dog that she was.

The unmistakable scent of canine demons grew as they reached the rear of the massive compound. Whereas the main buildings had been razed to the ground, a few of the lesser structures were more or less intact in the rear. A separate set of walls had been constructed that resembled a crude maze. A bit more investigation revealed that these were not a maze, but a series of cages and fenced in walkways. This must have been the main breeding compound.

It was truly a unique construction. The masters could move animals from one area to another using the fenced tunnels, without exposing themselves to the threat of attack. Anyone who knew anything about lesser demons knew they were terribly unpredictable when cornered. He could only imagine the increased danger of a caged demon.

The closer he inspected the area, the more his brow furrowed in a frown. None of the pens or tunnels was damaged or missing. There was no indication of fire damage or battle. Vines grew up and around perfectly sound cages. If there was no damage, how did Otome get free? He had assumed that she had escaped when the battle to overthrow the castle had spilled into the breeding compound. All it would take was one errant canon to blow a hole in a wall and she could have slipped out unnoticed. But that did not seem to be the case. After a complete circuit around the entire, intact structure, there was only one conclusion he could draw. Whether by accident or on purpose, someone had let the girl out.

Sesshomaru turned to check the location of the girl in question. He found her hunkered down, whimpering at the back of one of the holding pens. Upon a closer look, he found what disturbed her. A set of weather-bleached bones peeked up through the vines and leaves that had filled one side of the cage. She reached a hand through the slats of the cage and pawed to uncover the skeleton. He sniffed and noticed a similar scent to his foundling and realized this was some type of relative.

He took inventory of all the kennels and noticed a fair number of corpses. Most were of a canine variety, which lent credence to their thoughts that this was a popular dog breeder. Four of the farthest cells held the obvious remains of canine mononokes; although he couldn't tell if they were dog, wolf, or some other species. The invading army probably thought these demons were too dangerous to leave alive, so either left them to starve, or put them to death immediately. What a waste.

A twig snap echoed through the area. Otome reacted like she had been shot. She flinched and darted behind the legs of her superior. Together, they turned in the direction of the sound, and prepared for an attack. Out of the surrounding woods, an old, stooped man appeared with a large walking stick. Behind him, the shapes of Inuyasha and Miroku emerged.

The shock on the mens' faces was priceless. The little old man looked like he was about to wet himself and run screaming at noticing two demons before him. Inuyasha and Miroku looked like they had not expected him to find the ruins before them. Sesshomaru's grin turned smug at having been the first to find their target.

It took some smooth talking from Miroku for the old man to tell them what he knew of the former inhabitants of the castle Toyomi. The old man gestured towards the larger ruin. "Lord Toyomi was a great and terrible ruler of this area many years ago. I was but a small boy when I first came to work in the castle as the cook's assistant. It was rumored that the Lord had wrested the castle away from the right and just ruler many decades before that in some form of gambling."

The man's voice faded in the manner of someone trapped in their own memories, "He was a cruel and vile man. Never a kind word for anyone and handed out punishments and executions on a whim. All he cared about was his power, gambling and sports." The old man wandered over to the cages and rested his gnarled hand on one of the slats. "He loved to breed sport dogs. He had all kinds; hunting dogs, fighting dogs, guard dogs and tracking dogs. He even boasted about having the only captive dog demons on the island."

Unconsciously, the man wandered over to the very cage where Otome had pawed at the hidden skeleton. "Those poor dog demons were treated worse than any of his normal dogs. He forced them to fight anything and everything that his gambling clients brought. I used to wander down here at night, after the kitchen closed, and watch the poor creatures lick their wounds. They seemed like really gentle animals when they weren't in the pit. It got to the point where the Lord would have to dump the breeding pairs into the pit together to force the male to defend his mate in order to get any sport out of the demons."

The old man knelt outside the pen and all those listening could imagine him as a small boy, crouched to watch the dog mononokes. "I would bring them scraps of meat from the kitchen whenever I could. They seemed to know I wouldn't hurt them. I tried to set them free once, and got the beating of a lifetime." He held up his gnarled hand to show the results of that punishment. It was obvious that his left hand had had all the fingers broken and not reset properly. Obviously, the cruel Lord wanted to punish him in a way that he would always remember, but not render him useless in the kitchen.

The old man stood with the help of his walking stick and turned to look at the white demon and the tiny, black head that peaked out from behind his pristine pants leg at about knee height. A smile crinkled the old, worn face, "Not long before the siege on the castle, a strange man came calling stating he was a master of animal husbandry. He claimed that he could improve the Lord's breeding stock, and give him truly exceptional animals for his collection. The Lord had recently killed his Master of the Dogs, so he took this newcomer in on a trial basis. The results were amazing. Even though the stranger looked more like a lady of court, he created some fierce fighting dogs. He also created a miracle with the dog demons."

The old man paused and moved closer to the demon lord, with his eyes locked on Otome, "None had been able to coerce the dog demons into breeding. It seemed that the constant fighting and uncertainty prevented them from bearing a litter. This strange man insisted on retiring the breeding sets of demons, and used them as breeding stock. The first miracle was a litter of dog demons born in captivity. The second miracle was the little human pup that was among the litter."

The old man reached out a hand towards the girl and ignored the warning growl coming from the owner of the leg that he approached. "She was the cutest little thing. Coal black hair and fuzzy, black demon ears. Her littermates treated her the same as them, and they played and romped as pups are want to do. The Master of the Dogs tried to keep her presence secret from the Lord, but alas, there were too many greedy guards who wanted to curry favor with the evil Lord. He came to see the miracle, and soon issued orders to have her separated from her family, and treated like a freak attraction for his entertainment. He had her outfitted in special harnesses so he could have her chained in his palace for display during his gambling tournaments." Otome crept out from behind the protective shield of Sesshomaru's leg and sniffed towards the old man's out-stretched hand. All the men watched as she kept a posture of wariness as she placed herself within grasping range of the old man. Still, he kept his hand open and out, allowing her to come to him, if she wanted. A few moments later, her little nose bumped the old hand, as she sniffed him thoroughly and allowed him to pat her head.

With a grin that revealed all his missing teeth, the old man stopped telling his story to the men, and talked directly to the girl, "I was so happy to hear that you had escaped during the chaos of the attack. I doubt the Lord would have ever released you. In fact, I'm sure he had some dishonorable, despicable things planned for you if you had stayed. I always thought the Master of the Dogs had managed to release you. I just wish he could have released the other dog demons as well. It does my heart good to see you have survived all this time." By the end of his story, Otome had flopped onto her back, and the old man giggled as he rubbed her tummy, like he would any dog. It didn't matter to the girl that she was dressed; it was the gesture that mattered.

Miroku walked up to the old man and decided to ask a few pointed questions. "Good sir, do you know the name of the ones that attacked the castle?"

The old, bald head shook in a negative response, "No, Lord Monk. All we knew was that the Lord had lost a great deal in a gambling venture and had refused to pay what was due. So, in retaliation, the other Lord attacked and razed the castle to the ground while our Lord could only watch. It seemed that his hired men had no feelings of loyalty for our Lord, and simply allowed the invading forces to do as they wanted, and allowed them to take our Lord. We later received word of his demise and were warned never rebuild or return to the castle. I came to the kennels to check on the dogs, and found them all slaughtered. It seemed that the invading lord wanted to destroy everything that our Lord held dear. I was heart-broken at the fate of those gentle dog demons, and never knew the fate of the little human demon."

A thoughtful hand rubbed his chin as Miroku asked his next question, "Do you remember the name of the Master of the Dogs? Maybe we could speak to him if he's still in the area."

The old man straightened from his crouch with several audible pops from his aged bones. "No one has seen that strange man since the attack. We assumed he had perished. It's been so long since I thought about him…" a deep frown caused the wrinkles on the old forehead to deepen. He closed his eyes to concentrate.

The men waited impatiently for the old memory to produce a name. Inuyasha was about to bop the man on the head like he did with Totosai to jar his brain into action when a huge grin broke on the old face. His eyes popped open as he turned towards the monk. "The name he gave our Lord when he arrived was Onigumo!"


	43. Chapter 43 More Questions than Answers

Chapter 43 More Questions than Answers

The surrounding men all blanched at the old man's answer. Inuyasha shouted what they were all thinking, "What! Onigumo! That's impossible!" Otome jumped at the confusion and anger pouring off her superiors. She scrambled to find the source of the threat, but couldn't sense anything out of the ordinary.

The old man's smile fell at the reaction of these men, "I'm sure that was the name he gave. I thought it was strange since it translated into demon spider, when he was obviously as human as you or I."

Miroku placed a restraining hand on his half-dog friend to prevent Inuyasha's volatile temper from scaring this source of information away. "Please forgive my friend's outburst. Is there anything else you can remember about this Onigumo? Was he burned or scarred?"

The old man frowned even deeper, "Huh? No. Like I said, he was pretty enough to be mistaken for a lady of court. There wasn't a single scar on him. I don't know anything more about him. He always kept to himself back in the Master of the Dog's quarters." The gnarled hand pointed to a tiny shack just past the kennels.

A few minutes later, after the old man left with a few coins that Miroku had given him for his time, the three males and one girl stalked over to the shack that had housed this 'Onigumo.' Inuyasha grumbled his disbelief the whole way over, "What kinda crap is this? There's no way it could be Onigumo. Sounds like a sick plot from Naraku. Prick always pops up just when we think he's gone for good."

Although he would never admit it aloud, Sesshomaru had to agree with his fuming brother. From what he knew of Naraku, Onigumo ceased to exist almost 70 years ago when he allowed demons to consume his body. They opened the door to the Master of the Dog's quarters and hoped for a clue to this new twist.

They were sadly disappointed. The roof had long since given way to the forces of gravity, and the years of exposure to the weather had worn away any evidence of the previous occupant. Miroku used his staff to carefully sift through the layers of leaf litter that covered the ground. Inuyasha crouched like a dog on the floor and sniffed about. Otome simply sat in the doorway and tilted her head in confusion. While Sesshomaru refused to even enter such a hovel.

Miroku pondered out loud, "Well, we know it can't be the same Onigumo that Kikyo tended because the man bore no burn marks. Not to mention that he would be nearing 100 years old by now. Could it be another man with the same name; a coincidence?"

From his squat position, Inuyasha added, "Yea, and Totosai said he smelled like a half-demon, which Onigumo wasn't until after he became Naraku. But, Naraku wasn't pretty like a lady and he would never have done anything kind like letting a prize pet free. Could it be an incarnation we don't know about? That sneaky bastard was always doing stuff like that."

As the search continued, Otome cautiously entered the room and circled behind Miroku. Over in a corner that had probably once held a futon, she pawed at the floor to reveal a bundle of cloth under the rotted remains of a wooden box. Her cute, button nose burrowed into the cloth and she sneezed from the dust. Her yip alerted the males to her find and brought them to look over her shoulder. She lay down beside the cloth, and rubbed her cheek against it.

Inuyasha gently reached over her and lifted the fabric to examine it. He puzzled aloud, "Friend?" Miroku looked at him and questioned, "Is that what she said?" The dog-eared boy only nodded as he brought the scrap up to his nose to sniff. His face instantly morphed into one of disgust and outrage. "That Bastard! Here, what do you smell?" With precision, he tossed the cloth to his brother for his input.

Sesshomaru didn't even have to bring the disgusting scrap to his nose to smell, "Naraku!" he growled. Then his anger faded into confusion as he continued, "But not quite. It has a hint of Naraku, but something is different."

Being the reasonable one in the group, Miroku questioned, "Could it just be due to the age of the sample? It has been quite some time since we last saw that villain. Could this have been some plan he had developed before the final battle? Maybe this was where he was hiding when we couldn't locate him? He could have faked being nice to Otome to lull her into trusting him. We know he could change his appearance at will. Maybe he made himself look like a lady to avoid suspicion?"

Inuyasha's sarcastic voice grumbled, "What? He suddenly develops a hobby of raising dogs in the middle of his plot for world domination? Not likely."

No other clues were revealed in the search of the tiny shack. It didn't make sense for Naraku, who always took over entire palaces and paraded around as the Lord, to hide in a lowly shack and tend dogs. A thorough inspection of the entire compound left them just as confused. At the end of the day, as the group sprawled about the small campfire, Sesshomaru summed it up perfectly, "More questions than answers."


	44. Chapter 44 Nothing There

Chapter 44 Nothing There

The normal banter about the fire pit was subdued that night. All had hoped to find simple answers. Still, none had truly expected it to be that easy; it never was. The only member of the party that did not seem to be disturbed was Kirara. Even Otome would stop in her normal actions and stare out into the woods like she could see something they could not. It was quite disconcerting to all, especially the great demon lord who couldn't believe that her senses were sharper than his. Every time she stopped like this, he turned his head in the same direction and strained to hear or smell what she did. The conclusion was the same each time; there was just nothing unusual there.

Inuyasha commented after this happened for the fifth time as he swatted at the girl to get her to stop staring off into the forest. "Cut it out! There's nothing there! Do you think she senses the spirits from the castle?"

The monk knew from his companions' reactions that there was no corporeal threat, so that left only the spiritual threats. "She may be unsettled from what we found earlier. It can't be easy to find the remains of family members in such a state. Maybe it just brought up old memories? I could still place a few wards around the camp just as a precaution."

A dismissive wave towards the monk spoke volumes about the half-demon's thoughts on the spiritual wards. Everyone knew that the boy thought all things could be handled with a well-placed swing of a certain fang-related sword. But, the monk felt they would all sleep better if he could keep the situation from escalating to that point.

After setting up his warning wards, Miroku stared sullenly at the girl who paced distractedly about the small fire. "Do you think she actually has memories of that place and its inhabitants? From what the old man said, she was pretty young when she was removed from her littermates."

Inuyasha closed his eyes and crossed his arms, "Who knows. She can't be very intelligent if she thinks Onigumo was a friend." This last was said with an angry huff.

Miroku tried to placate his friend and yet still half-heartedly defend the girl, "Maybe she just associates the smell of Onigumo with something good. Maybe he didn't actually do anything nice for her." It was possible. He had seen village dogs who responded to certain smells that usually followed rewards.

The half-demon was not in the mood to be calm, "Yea, well, I still don't think it could be the same Onigumo. It just doesn't fit. From what Kikyo said, when he was human, he was an evil bandit. I even heard Kaede tell of once when she went to care for the bandit, that he was drooling over the prospect of tainting Kikyo's hears with malice. And we all know how depraved he was once he became Naraku. Hell, even when Onigumo was expelled as Muso, he was a heartless bastard; killing just because he could." Memories of events long passed resurfaced as fresh as if they had happened yesterday. The battle against Naraku had scarred all of their groups in different ways.

Sesshomaru remained standing, at the edge of the camp as the shadows in the forest deepened. Night sounds grew to a deafening volume as the daytime creatures scurried to hide from the nocturnal hunters. He grinned as he felt the instinctual need to join in the age-old game of predator and prey. And it was obvious, for anyone who even looked at him, which side of that equation he would fall on. With less than a whisper of silk, the white demon vanished.

Inuyasha noticed Otome's eyes swivel to the now empty space that was previously occupied by his brother. The boy growled out, "Damn show off!" then he went about the task of preparing the camp. He didn't have much of a pre-bed routine, but he needed to make sure that the girl was set, and that they would not need to forage into the threatening woods for provisions tonight.

The little pouch that Kikyo had prepared for the girl with clothes and snacks was nearly empty. He made a mental reminder to hunt tomorrow so they would have some fresh meat. There was no way in Hell he was going to head back to that village for supplies. He wasn't even comfortable with sending Miroku back in there after the fiasco of Sesshomaru's appearance in town. With as much as those back-water villagers hated demons, none of them would be safe from an old-fashioned lynching.

For the millionth time, Inuyasha almost tripped over the suddenly still figure of the girl as she stared into the woods. He looked at her tense frame and realized she looked like one of those hunting dogs he had seen once that stood still and pointed to the prey to alert their masters. He turned his own golden eyes towards that area and tried to pierce the darkness to detect what had her attention. As had been the result all evening, he could sense nothing out of the ordinary.

With a grumble of "Stupid girl!" he shifted his foot under her rump, and pushed her out of the way; not quite a kick, but equally effective. The startled girl barely caught herself before her face made intimate contact with the forest floor. The bronze-colored eyes turned to him with confusion and she whined. Okay, so maybe he felt a little bad for almost kicking her, but she had to stop doing that! It was making him nervous.

The two remaining men stretched out around the fire and set about roasting some game birds that Inuyasha had 'liberated' from the village earlier. As it turned out, the monk was quite a fair cook, when there was no alternative. It must have come from the many years of traveling with Mushin, who loved to eat rich food at every opportunity. If they couldn't afford to eat in expensive establishments, then they could learn to cook their own food in that manner, and simply eat like kings on their pauper's budget.

As the tender meat sizzled in the fire, Kirara sat on the edge of the stone ring and eyed the juicy morsel. Normally, the cat would hunt her own dinner, but tonight, she seemed leery of venturing past the light thrown by their camp. Although, she didn't stop and point like Otome did, Inuyasha noticed the small cat's ears swivel and twitch from time to time. Maybe there was something out in the dark that only the animals could sense.

Just as quickly as he had left, Sesshomaru suddenly rematerialized in the firelight. Unlike his usual over-excited greeting, the demon only received a look and a wag from the distracted dog-like girl. Then her attention turned almost immediately back to the eerie woods.

Although he would never admit it, Inuyasha almost jumped out of his skin when his brother reappeared. To cover his surprise, Inuyasha responded with anger, "So where did you go off to? You too good to eat with the likes of us? The least you could have done was bring back some food; useless freeloader."

Sesshomaru ignored his blustering brother and staked out his resting place for the night. He needed to return in the morning to check on the wolf incursion into his territory. In truth, he hoped the mongrels had ignored his territorial banners. He needed a good fight to keep his skills honed. It wouldn't do to get soft. As it was, he would have to pick a fight with his little brother soon just to keep them both at the top of their form.

It was Miroku who finally broke the tense silence in the camp. "Forgive me, Lord Sesshomaru, but did you see anything unusual while you were gone?" Both men turned expectant looks towards the anti-social white demon in hopes that he might answer. Otome simply continued her tense perusal of the darkness.

Sesshomaru cocked his head just a bit to the side in contemplation. Had he seen anything unusual? It had been a simple hunt, with readily available prey to satisfy his physical and instinctual hunger. Maybe it had been a bit too easy? "There seems to be an overabundance of animals in this area, considering the high number of canine predators."

Inuyasha stared out into the darkness. "Hm. So there's lots of dogs or wolves in the area? I wonder if they could have escaped from the castle and just stuck around. It seems like the villagers would have caught or killed them by now."

Miroku scratched his chin, "But, wouldn't the dogs have eaten everything in the woods and then gone to the village for easier prey?" He turned his purple eyes back towards the silent white demon, "Is that what you meant? There wouldn't be any animals left to eat if there were lots of dogs living in these woods." A non-committal look was Sesshomaru's only response, so the monk continued. "If the dogs and wolves are not native to this area, then the large number of other animals would lead one to believe the dogs had recently migrated to this forest."

Inuyasha's face crunched up into a frown, "So what?! Who gives a damn if dogs are suddenly overrunning these woods? Maybe they'll do some good and eat a few of those ignorant villagers. You two are going on and on about useless shit!" Suddenly, a deep growl emanated from the girl's throat as she once again stared out into the woods. Only this time was different. In the blackness beyond the fire light, a pair of yellow circles hovered. Everyone tensed at this latest development. A quick movement by the fire showed Inuyasha that Kirara had morphed into her larger state and also growled towards the intruder. The pair of glowing eyes out in the darkness blinked once, twice, then vanished. Inuyasha mumbled, "Okay, so lots of dogs in the area might not be totally useless shit to know about. At least they are smart enough not to approach us. They shouldn't be much of a threat."


	45. Chapter 45 Restless Night

Chapter 45 Restless night

With less grace than a dying bird, Inuyasha flopped his red-robed figure on the ground the usual distance from his mighty brother. Neither of them even thought about the arrangement anymore. They simply moved to their places so the girl could relax between them.

Seeing her "beds" prepare for sleep, the girl whined a bit and sauntered over between the two. This time though, she didn't just lay down on Inuyasha. She stared between the two laps that she had recently used as a pillow. A confused tilt to her head indicated she didn't know exactly what to do.

Sesshomaru watched the girl as she whined again and seemed unable to settle down. The droop of her eyes indicated she was tired, but something kept her from resting. Again, her eyes turned to the surrounding woods and she tensed.

Inuyasha clucked to get her attention, and reached out to reassure Otome. With that encouragement, she glanced at Sesshomaru for any response, and then curled herself next to the half-demon. Her foot slid closer to the demon lord and actually tucked up behind his rump.

Inuyasha grinned at the girl's boldness. Before, she had almost been afraid to touch his brother, now she was purposely making contact. His hand reached down to begin his soothing stroke down her silky black hair and back to the cute ear. He studied the ear and grinned for a minute as he realized, 'I now know why Kagome and her Mom were so captivated by my ears.'

As the night wore on, Sesshomaru noticed that the girl fidgeted constantly as she stretched out between them. It became quite annoying, and he wondered how any of them were going to get any sleep. Not that he needed any, of course. He only made it look like he slept to comfort the girl so she could rest. One good side-effect of her restlessness was that none of them fell into a deep sleep. Subsequently they sensed and heard the movements of the many dogs of the forest that would approach the group for a moment then move away again.

Otome actually flipped over to place her head on the demon's leg then back again to Inuyasha's a few times. The constant movement grated on Sesshomaru's nerves. An uncharacteristic restlessness engulfed him as well. He wanted to get up and move the little group further from the ruins. Maybe there truly was something other than just dogs out in the woods.

The demon lord's thoughts drifted to his strange foundling. The question of what she was still plagued his mind. If the old villager was to be believed, she had been born from two lesser, full, dog demon mononkes in a litter of normal mononokes. As far as they could tell, even though she looked mostly demon, she smelled almost completely human. She had a human night like a half-demon, but they had never seen her go into a rage like Inuyasha did when his demon blood overpowered his human consciousness. According to Myoga, if one could believe that habitual liar, the girl's blood tasted human with a hint of demon.

So, was she a demon that could mimic the smell and blood of a human? Was she a human with demon traits? Or was she some strange human/demon hybrid? The question that plagued him about this last possibility was, "How did any human blood get into the mix between two mononokes?" The brief idea that the strange Master of the Dogs, which was rumored to be Onigumo, had sexual relations with the poor mononoke bitch almost turned the demon lord's stomach. He shifted a bit at the disgusting thought.

Assuming, for just a moment, that the mysterious Onigumo was indeed Naraku, would the offspring of Naraku and the mononoke be a human/demon hybrid? Not likely. Naraku had practically purged his body of all things human, so his offspring would most likely be twisted conglomerations of the many demons that composed his body. That was also assuming, that in that sick, twisted mass, that there existed the equipment to actually procreate.

The demon lord had never really thought it possible, since the sick mind that was Naraku had never tried it. Surely if it were possible, he would have reproduced. Instead, he fashioned incarnations out of cast-off parts of his own conglomerated body. They had actually all been present to witness the many attempts to produce the baby that eventually housed his human heart.

So, after he dismissed the possibility that the girl was an offspring of the hated spider, his mind turned to the other possibilities. He truly didn't think that she was a half-demon, like Inuyasha. The smell just wasn't right. Also, she didn't have the half traits like all other half-demons carried. Her ears were not on the top of her head, like Inuyasha's, but that was inconclusive. He had met several young half-demons with demon-like ears. Still, there would be no way she would manifest such strong demon traits if she were half-demon, and it would be impossible for her to raise demon markings. If he used the smell as an indicator, she barely had any demon blood within her body. All these things pointed to a new kind of canine demon that could somehow mimic humans right down to the smell and blood.

His mind staggered at the possibilities that she could truly be some full-blooded dog demon with masking abilities. It was as if a long closed door had suddenly been flung open, and the light of day streamed in. His ever practical mind wondered what traits the pups of such a unique demon would develop. Would her mimicking ability be passed on to her pups? What about her other traits, like speed and strength? What about her intelligence? He had always wondered just how intelligent she truly was, or could have been. Did the deprived and solitary life she had led so far cause her inability to converse or exhibit the traits of a higher demon? Would she ever develop those lacking abilities?

Then, without him even noticing, the demon lord's mind turned to the possibility of himself mating with such a creature. It had been so long since he had given up on the idea of producing full demon offspring. A tiny thrill of hope sparked in his mind at the thought of full dog demon pups that would share his seemingly immortal lifespan. His heart rate increased with the excitement. This might be the answer to the greatest regret of his entire existence since learning he was the last full dog demon lord of breeding age. Long ago he had resigned himself to either never producing offspring, or having to bury all of his descendents long before his long life wound to a close. Now, if she was what he thought, there might be another alternative.

What kind of pups would they have together? With the dominant genes of his sire, chances are any offspring would sport the white/silver hair and magenta markings. But what of her darker locks and marks? Would some of his children resemble the dark, innocent beauty of Otome? Would he have pups with mixed features? He had never seen a demon with two-tone hair but the images in his mind showed it could be quite striking. Even if their pups behaved more like true mononokes, and never attained a humanoid form, he would be proud of them.

After he imagined what kind of pups she would have, then what kind of pups he would have on her, his mind imagined the actual interaction that would produce said pups. Sweat formed on his brow and upper lip. His hands fairly twitched to reach out and touch the girl. It had been a long time since he had even thought of such an act. Not finding any demoness worthy put a damper on his libido. From time to time, he encountered a female that would stir his desires, but his logical mind always vetoed the pairing for some valid reason and he would simply walk away unfulfilled. With this new discovery of a worthy candidate, the centuries of celibacy roared back on his body with a vengeance.

Would she accept him as a mate? She was awfully young and inexperienced. Still, she had raised her demon marks which signaled that she was an adult in the demon world, no matter how young and innocent her appearance. His mind supplied him with the image of the horrific chastity belt that had insured her innocence. Confidence allowed him to nod and realize, he could teach her everything she needed to know, and if he went slow enough, he was sure he could gentle her to accept him. She trusted him now. Besides, he had all the time in the world.

Sesshomaru's eyes turned appraisingly to the little creature that stretched between him and his brother. He cataloged her assets and weaknesses as his baser desires clouded his thoughts. His mind raced as his pulse increased. Images whirled in his increasingly confused mind. Sweat broke out on his palms and he had the uncomfortable desire to wipe them on his pants. Other parts of him heated up and he struggled to remain still.

One thought annoyed him. The girl was a member of Inuyasha's pack, and he had already promised not to take her away from his brother. Of course, that was when he thought the creature was a lowly human or human/demon hybrid. If she were a pure dog demon…..his mouth salivated at the possibility. Surely there was some way to have her and not take her away from Inuyasha. Hell, he'd even share if that were the only solution.

A late night bird called out mournfully into the quiet, and startled the demon lord into alertness. A deep frown marred the alabaster brow. What was he thinking and why? This girl looked up to him as a leader and protector. How could he think such lewd and perverted thoughts about someone so innocent? It was completely out of character. He was disgusted with himself. Surely he had fallen to a new low to be excited by his own foundling. Still, his mind whispered, if she were willing…..

In the midst of all these thoughts, the demon noticed his brother acted strangely. The boy shifted his legs a bit, as if to relieve a cramp in his limbs. Out of curiosity, he glanced at the sleeping monk and observed that nothing disturbed that one's sleep. So, whatever bugged them was leaving Miroku alone. Could it be something that only dog demons could sense? Maybe the spirits of the poor mononokes that had perished at the kennels had come to greet them?

It wasn't until Inuyasha shifted in his sleep again and groaned that Sesshomaru realized what ailed them. His eyes shot open wide and he sniffed carefully to confirm his suspicion. His body responded to the subtle, enticing scent that drifted lazily about the camp.

Sesshomaru stood to his full height and nudged his brother with his boot. "Inuyasha!" A groggy mumble of "What the hell do you want?" indicated the near wakeful state of the boy. The deep voice woke the monk and the girl as well as he stated, "Otome is in heat."

Two pairs of confused golden eyes stared up at him, as well as a thoughtful purple pair. Inuyasha started to sputter a denial until he noticed how his body had reacted during the night. He shifted in his discomfort and glanced at the now smirking monk. "Oh, shut it, you!"

Once the two men were awake, Sesshomaru made a silent, hasty retreat into the woods with as much grace and disdain as his painfully aroused, panting body could manage. With the increased distance from the intoxicating scent, his reasoning faculties returned to their logical norm. Still, he had never been so disgusted with himself and his lack of self-control since the day he had lost his arm in his battle with Inuyasha. This was intolerable. He would have to train mercilessly until he could be present during the girl's heat. Otherwise, he could never hope to remain in her presence.

Well away from her hormonal influence, Sesshomaru could see the flaw in his previous reasoning about her full demon status. Without his body's desire to possess the girl, he could not truly believe that she was anything other than what they had surmised; some type of human/demon hybrid. It was the only explanation that made sense. Still, for just a moment, the demon lord felt a pang of disappointment for the loss of the solution to his offspring dilemma. If only she had been full dog demon… but… He stopped his mind from even revisiting that subject. She was what she was, and she wasn't for him. He would not regret what he could not change. With a new resolve, he moved at his highest speed to find new challenges to hone his control which had suffered a major blow this night.


	46. Chapter 46 Moon Doggie

AN: I'm sorry some of you think this is taking too long to get to the explanation of why Otome is the way she is. But, this is my primary source of relaxation after a long day at work. I like to imagine and describe these situations that the dog-like girl gets herself into. If you read my profile, you know I consider myself a long-winded person. It only makes sense my stories should be the same. Besides, there are plenty of stories out there where Sesshomaru sees someone across a glade and suddenly declares his undying love and pleges to protect, train and pup her within the first 30 minutes of their relationship. Come on! Where's the fun in that?! Ms. Takahashi took what, 16 years? to complete the Canon story...I'm not about to give my group a short-shrift and rush to the ending. I like my characters. I want you to grow to like my characters too, and to care about their relationships. Eventually, Otome may be less dog-like. You'll just have to stick around and see. As for pairings... that's waaaaaay off into the future. Let's face it, most relationships that can stand the test of time are not created in a day. Besides, we've got a band of emotionally constipated males and a clueless dog-girl. (Miroku is the most mature of the lot, and that's not saying much). So, I hope you can simply enjoy this story for what it is, and if not, I hope you find something more satisfying.

Chapter 46 Moon Doggie

No one was satisfied with the results of their search as they dejectedly turned towards home. Although, it was a long-shot that they could find answers to the mystery of Otome's origins, they had held hope that something would emerge. They had thought it would be quick, simple and straight-forward. They had surely never, even in their wildest nightmares, thought Naraku would be involved in their little foundling's past. Still, it did make a strange type of logic. Usually, when there was something so totally out of the ordinary that it seemed impossible, that spider had some part in it.

Having gone everywhere they had planned, and done everything they could, the group felt no sense of urgency on the return trip. So, it was a leisurely pace they set as they headed south. Not only that, but due to Otome's heat Inuyasha couldn't carry her on his back as he had done before because his body would react to her scent in very uncomfortable ways. They rarely ran except when they felt overly energetic.

So caught up in their debate over what they had learned, and what it could mean, Inuyasha had not noticed the phase of the moon until it was too late to make it safely back to the slayer's village. The night of the new moon caught them out in the open, with no village nearby. As the sun set, Otome yelped in surprise as Inuyasha transformed into a human. She had not been present at his last transformation, as Kikyo had kept her in her hut on the off chance that they shared the same human night. So, this change in her superior caused the girl considerable worry.

Otome crept slowly towards what appeared to be her superior, but it was obvious that her senses told her that this person was different. Inuyasha wisely sat still and let the girl approach at her own speed. The last thing he needed was to lose her trust and confidence in him. So, like the skittish animal she was, she cautiously sniffed all about his person, even tickling him in a few spots where she shouldn't have sniffed.

Once she was satisfied that this was indeed, still the same Inuyasha, she sat before him and studied his changed appearance with the honey, gold eyes. The boy could tell that the hair color and loss of ears were the biggest changes that confused her as she stared at the top of his head. At one point, she even took a strand of hair in her mouth and gently tugged to see if it was truly attached, or if something black was on top of his normally white hair. Miroku simply sat and snickered at the girl's inspection of the altered half-demon.

Finally, after almost an hour of testing and sniffing, the girl seemed to settle the issue in her head, and assumed her normal sleeping position on the boy's leg. Miroku moved to sit beside his friend and prepared for the night-long vigil. On the night of the new moon, none of them slept; Inuyasha, obviously because he felt extraordinarily vulnerable, and Miroku, because he was the first line of defense if they were attacked. This night had the added danger of the encroaching dogs and wolves of the woods that had gotten bolder at the strengthening scent of Otome's heat. Kirara positioned herself on the side opposite from Miroku to guard the trio in her larger form.

Human Inuyasha was actually almost thankful for the night of the new moon this time. For once he was happy to not have his heightened demon senses. The very smell of this dog-like girl had driven him to distraction all day. Of course, it wasn't so bad that he was afraid he would lose control of himself and do something shameful. It was just that it was damn annoying! (not to mention almost painful, though he refused to think about that).

He had never experienced anything like this before; not in his time in the human village, and definitely not in his time in the forests. Come to think of it, he had never reacted in any physical way to any demoness' heat and he had experienced quite a few in passing. His overly emotional human mind pondered over his reaction to this strange girl's scent. They had decided that her heat was probably what actually drew all the dogs in the woods to the area. There had to be something special about this one that affected all of them so greatly. As he stroked her hair and ear, he tried to think what it might be.

The first brazen attack came near dawn. There was no sound to alert the semi-awake group to the circling threat. It was simply one minute there was nothing, and the next, three wolf-like dogs pounced on Kirara. The battle roar of the big cat caused everyone to leap up into defensive stances. Unfortunately, the three dogs were not alone. Snarling and growling erupted from all sides of the camp. Two dogs leapt for Miroku while four lunged at Otome and Inuyasha. A few more dogs circled about the whole group, looking for an opportunity to join the battle. Blood flew as fangs and claws made contact with flesh and fur.

Inuyasha studied the mangy dogs as they drew back to regroup. His untransformed sword had cut one attacker to the bone, and he had knocked a few teeth out of the mouth that had latched onto his left arm. Hey, when fangs and claws were not an option, fists and brute strength were always a good alternative.

Continued scuffling sounds drew his attention to his right, where Miroku's billowing robes had saved him from a vicious attack. The monk had brained one mongrel with his jingling staff and dodged the lunge of the other. All the dogs came away with for their ambush was a bit of purple cloth and some serious head injuries. Further beyond Miroku, Kirara had killed two of her attackers, and had the third pinned under her considerable weight. It would only take a mere flick of her paw, and the pinned dog would be beheaded. Although, she was victorious, Kirara sported a few deep wounds for her trouble.

A snarl drew the boy's attention to his left where he expected to see Otome dominate these wimpy dogs. Instead, his eyes nearly popped out of his head as he witnessed two dogs drag the girl away from the camp. One exceptionally large dog had clamped his jaws on the back of the girl's head and dragged her thrashing body through the underbrush. Another equally large dog pulled her in the other direction by her leg where its fangs nearly pierced through her thigh.

Without another thought, Inuyasha shouted, and charged the two retreating dogs. Neither dropped their hold on their prize, but both spun to sprint away. Unfortunately for the thieves, but fortunately for the human half-demon, the dogs were not used to working as a team. As they scrambled to get away from the approaching human, they didn't compensate for the fact that there were trees between them and safety. The two dogs flowed around a tree like water, one on either side, which caused Otome to collide painfully with the trunk. The shock of the sudden stop wrenched the fangs out of her flesh just long enough for her to turn to face the pair. Then, in the next instant, two dogs lay dead on the forest floor, and a red-eyed girl growled loud enough to shake the leaves off the tree that saved her.

Miroku turned at the commotion and watched the end of the encounter. A rustle in the leaves behind him awoke him to the fact that there were still more dogs that circled them, and he had left his back exposed. This was rudely brought home to him when he felt a body collide with his torso and heard jaws snap near his neck. Reflexes honed by years of demon attacks saved him. In truth, these dogs were dangerous because of their number, but they were nothing when compared to the strength of a demon. He shouted a warning to his companions, "Inuyasha be careful. There are more of them, and they are trying to separate us. Get back to the fire!"

Both black heads of Otome and Inuyasha turned to see as the monk struggled with more encroaching dogs. The mangy bodies were slunk to the ground; creeping in towards the firelight; eyes eerily glowing yellow and green. Two roars shattered the night; one from Kirara, and one from Otome. Again, the girl seemed to vanish and several dead dogs appeared in her wake. The fire cat leaped over to her master's mate and slapped several canines off of him. Then, in a graceful move, she flipped Miroku onto her back and flew to snatch Inuyasha out of the path of more snarling dogs. With one man on her back, and the other dangled from her jaws, Kirara launched up into a high branch of an ancient tree to deposit her cargo.

Within moments, the giant cat once again joined the battle; and there was no doubt that it was indeed a battle. Miroku watched in awe from their higher vantage point and commented, "These do not seem to be simple dogs. I've never seen so many travel in a pack, nor have I seen such coordinated attacks."

Inuyasha bristled and twitched as his instincts, even as subdued as they were at the moment, screamed for him to protect his friends. If he only had a sharp sword, even one that didn't transform, he could do some considerable damage to the circling threat. "They ain't regular dogs! They can't be! Dogs don't get that damn big! Maybe they're part demon." He thought of the skeletons of the dog mononokes back at the kennel where Otome was born. Maybe some of them had escaped and bred in the wild.

The men watched as dog after slobbering dog tried to ambush the two fighting below. There seemed to be a never-ending supply of replacements. Inuyasha shouted, "This is crazy! Just get up here where they can't get us!" If they were high enough in the trees, surely those dogs couldn't reach them. It would be better than fighting on and on and exhausting themselves.

Just before Inuyasha opened his mouth to issue a 'come' command to the girl, Kirara latched onto Otome's collar, and hoisted the snarling girl into the branches of the tree that sheltered the men. With a graceful thud, the giant cat landed on the study limb, and deposited her package in Inuyasha's lap. He had forgotten just how strong the girl could be when she was riled. It took all the strength he had to hold the snapping, thrashing girl so he could order her, in canine, to 'be still.'

Even though his currently human vocal cords had difficulty making the appropriate sound, not only did the girl still, but all the dogs milling below them stilled also. Nearly twenty pairs of astonished eyes stared up into the tree, searching for the authority that issued that command. Otome turned to stare up into his concerned eyes and then whimpered her apology.

Miroku stared, astonished, at the reaction of the wild pack that had just moments before been snapping after their blood. "Um, Inuyasha?" his voice was timid and confused. "Is that normal behavior?" Inuyasha's eyes shifted over to the monk, then traveled down the purple clad arm in the direction he indicated.

Below them, the large dogs either sat or lay, with their mangy heads looking up into the tree. None indicated any type of aggression; they simply looked like they were waiting for something. In his arms, Otome leaned over and looked down also. Her apologetic demeanor suddenly shifted to a more aggressive one, and she snapped and snarled at the dogs. Then, in a movement that surprised Inuyasha, the pack below shifted and all the dogs lowered themselves into a submissive posture. The gasp that escaped Inuyasha was almost a whisper as he then exclaimed, "Holy shit! I think they just acknowledged her as a superior!"


	47. Chapter 47 A Pack of My Own

Chapter 47 A Pack of My Own

After the men cautiously dropped back down to the forest floor, the pack seemed to spread out and leave them plenty of room to move. The majority of the strange, big dogs shifted to lay just within the far edge of the light cast by the camp fire. Many piled together in groups of two and three and drifted to sleep. A few alert eyes glowed brilliant yellow in the reflective light from the campfire.

Some of the bolder, higher ranked mutts edged close enough to tentatively sniff the two men, one girl and one fire cat. Yet, if any one got too close in Otome's opinion, she either cuffed them with her hand, or tried to bite them on the nose. One especially aggressive male got close enough to sniff her butt, and she literally knocked him off his feet, and landed on his chest with her teeth bared. Once she seemed confident that the male had gotten the message, she gingerly stepped off of him, turned her back on him, then kicked grass at him like she were covering up a turd. Inuyasha couldn't withhold the belly laugh that escaped at her antics to save his life.

He moved back to the fire and added a few additional logs. He would need the extra light to assess Otome's injuries. There might be some that couldn't wait until the break of dawn for attention. As he sat, he called the girl over to him and placed her head in his lap. The one dog that had clamped onto her head had left some mighty deep wounds where his top and bottom canines had ripped through her scalp after the tree stopped them. One of her ears also had a chunk torn out of it where the teeth had clamped her head like a vice. As with most head wounds, the gashes bled heavily and Miroku had to tear parts of his under robe for bandages. Poor thing looked like she was wearing a full turban when they were done. Together, the men wrapped the wounds as best they could before moving on to her thigh.

This was a bit harder to inspect her leg, as the girl was touchy about her backside due to her heat. She even snapped at them if they got too close. Luckily, the injury was closer to her knee, so they didn't have to cut or remove her demon-slayer outfit. It wasn't even nicked. So, Inuyasha held the girl in his lap, while Miroku wrapped another length of torn robe around her bleeding thigh. The wound was horrible. The fangs of the dog had literally torn through skin and muscle on its way out. Still the girl did not react in any way as if she were in crippling pain. Strange. Miroku was thankful he had not eaten recently, or his protesting stomach might have totally rebelled.

So, after the bandaging was complete, the girl leaned a bit closer and gently licked the side of Inuyasha's face in a gesture of thanks and submission. The silent dog pack that lounged about the edge of the firelight stirred at this display. Many of the dogs rose to a sitting position. Miroku noticed, and returned his hands to the staff that rested in his lap. The girl shifted forward and moved out of the half-demon's lap to move up to the monk, and repeated the show of affection and submission. Again, the dog pack stirred, and several rose up to their feet.

Inuyasha had never been close enough to a pack of dogs to know exactly what all this meant, but some things were perfectly clear, even to his currently human mind. The dogs had reacted to his command earlier in the tree. They had acknowledged Otome's dominance over them. (and who wouldn't after the world of hurt she had unleashed on the mangy pack). Then, she turned around and indicated that he was her superior, along with Miroku. So, in the eyes of these mongrels, the two human males were their superior's superior. Of course that would make the canines curious.

The quiet voice of the monk reached his ears a moment after this thought occurred to him. "Inuyasha, what's going on? Should we head back up to the tree branches? And, why are you smiling?" The half-demon managed to repress his laughter at the situation and explained to his confused friend. "Well, I think she just told them you and I are the leaders of her pack, so we are the leaders of their pack, if they are going to follow her."

The monk looked about with astonished violet eyes. "I say! You're kidding right?" But, one look at his companion's laughing eyes revealed that this was true. "Wow. When I used to say I wanted a pack of my own, I was talking about children, not dogs. Sango will kill us if we come home with a bunch of strays."

Inuyasha only shrugged, "Well, I don't know. She could probably whip them into decent guard dogs." And then the image of Sango actually wielding a huge whip and making these fierce wild dogs obey and march in military precision finally broke his self-control, and the half-demon laughed at the ironic situation.

The pack didn't react well to Inuyasha's humor. Probably the majority of these animals had never been exposed to any reaction from humans, other than fear and anger. Several sets of ears flattened on the heads of agitated dogs all about them. Miroku was about to chastise his friend when the first rays of the dawn touched the man's black hair. The usual pulse of his returning demon blood heralded the lightening of his hair to its normal grayish white and the glorious return of his fangs and claws. Inuyasha's innocent laughter twisted with just a hint of mischief as all the dogs present whimpered and rolled over onto their backs.

Otome simply sat and watched the return of her superior. The little canine head-tilt indicated her confusion, but it was soon forgotten as she wagged her non-existent tail and fawned all over Inuyasha. Unfortunately, in all the commotion of the attack, the half-demon had forgotten why he had previously been thankful for his weakened senses. The enticing scent produced by the wiggling girl drifted to his sensitive nose. The problem that had haunted him all the previous day arose once again and he cursed.

With a subtle shift of his pants, Inuyasha ordered, "Miroku, you have to carry Otome today. Her h…. um… scent… doesn't seem to bother you." Thankfully, the monk had enough grace not to comment on his companion's dilemma. He was a monk of the world. He was quite familiar with the signs of arousal which were universal, even in a half-demon.

With only a compliant smile, Miroku bent to lift the girl into his arms. He would not be able to carry her on his back, due to her injured thigh, so he cradled her to his chest like he would his own daughters. He laughed at the awkward look on her face as she tried not to squirm in this awkward position. Maybe later, when his arms got tired, she would be comfortable enough that he could toss her over his shoulder like a bag of rice.

As the men moved out of the little camp, the pack of wolf-like dogs rose and trailed after them. A few times, Inuyasha tried to dissuade them with a commanding growl or bark, but the enticing scent of Otome's heat seemed to override their natural instinct to follow the orders from someone who was obviously stronger than all of them put together.

Miroku regretfully found that Inuyasha's assumption that the girl would not affect him was proven false. Whereas he couldn't detect the scent she was producing, her unconsciously provocative movements against his body were causing an unwanted response. But, through many years of developing his self-control and meditative powers, the monk found that he could concentrate on the most undesirable women he had ever met in his life, and his problem evaporated.


	48. Chapter 48 Return

AN:No I didn't die. Yes it's a new chapter. No, I haven't given up or gotten bored with this story. Many more chapters already written, just need time to edit. Taking a mini-vacation (which really means, just working from home) and thought I'd read some old reviews, and got the urge to post this. Enjoy.

Chapter 48 Return

It had been several days since Sesshomaru had forced himself through the most strenuous discipline drills he could possibly devise. He had placed himself in the presence of the most annoying individuals he could find to practice restraining his urges; this one the urge to kill instead of the primal urge to rut he had experienced earlier. Between his mother and Jakken, it was a wonder he had not ground his teeth down to nubs in his frustration. Couple that with his decision to not allow himself to sleep for the duration, and it was a wonder that he had any hair remaining on his head. The urge to pull it all out grew with the extended time in his mother's presence.

In the afternoons, when the nagging and whining paused, he put his body through the most strenuous physical training imaginable. He fought against dragons and moth demon lords from the continent; with only his own claws. He refused to even use his poison or whips. In his training, he did more to thin the demon population on the mainland than any demon lord had done in centuries.

At night, after the grueling rigors of the day, he forced himself to endure the presence of several demonesses in heat without moving a single muscle. He felt that it was adequate punishment for his disgraceful behavior. Each night grew worse as his lack of sleep undermined his rock-solid control. But he endured.

So, at the end of his self-proclaimed exile and training excursion, he felt he had regained enough self-control to risk approaching Inuyasha's group once again. He was confident that he would not further embarrass himself with any succumbing to raging hormones. If he were truly fortunate, neither of the two males traveling with his foundling would mention his momentary lapse of control.

Imagine his complete disbelief when he located his brother's group. What had been a four person party when he had departed had somehow morphed into a pack of nearly twenty in his absence! Mangy wild dogs and partial dog demons scuffled and trudged along behind those he expected to meet. How had this happened? Could the girl have attracted so much attention in her heat? Her scent must have been extremely potent! Sesshomaru sniffed delicately and was relieved to smell that the girl's heat scent had waned. It was annoying, but not potent enough to pose a threat to his dignity.

A moment of concern clouded his face as he wondered if he had made a wrong decision by leaving to avoid such a temptation. His brother had been affected to a much lesser degree, so he had assumed she would be safe with Inuyasha. He had not contemplated the appearance of other suitors in his pheromone dazed exit. He had simply needed to distance himself from such a tantalizing smell that wreaked havoc on his senses. Had Inuyasha been able to protect her virtue?

True to form, the girl rocketed away from the group to intercept him as soon as she noticed his presence. The demon lord braced for the impact that never came. Instead of launching herself at him, she had zoomed up before him, and then sat directly at his feet. For an instant, it reminded him of how Rin used to greet him after a separation. Hmm. Had Inuyasha taught the girl some manners after all?

Around Inuyasha and the monk, the wide-ranging pack of dogs stiffened at the presence of the powerful demon. Then, a few growled when their 'leader' ran directly at this new threat. Some of the larger dogs even sprinted after the girl, apparently to assist her in the coming battle. But, even before Inuyasha could again issue the 'be still' command, Otome had assumed a submissive posture before Sesshomaru, and the pack of dogs shifted. Many canine ears perked up, and swiveled in their direction.

Sesshomaru patted the girl's head and called to his half-brother in a disgusted voice, "Inuyasha it looks like you are moving up in the world. You have gone from a pack of pitiful humans to a pack of mangy dogs." He loved to taunt the young half-demon into acting a fool and provoking a much needed, stress-relieving fight.

To the great demon's shock, the boy did not react in his normal brash manner. Instead, the boy crossed his arms over his chest and hurled the insult right back to its sender. "I know. This is actually more your style. I mean, a dog demon should have dogs around him, right? Just like Koga has his wolves. Not little girls and smelly toads." A knowing smirk crossed the boy's face as he watched his brother stiffen. It had taken years, and several mock battles with Koga, for Inuyasha to appreciate the joy of taunting ones opponent. Who knew all those years he had taken his brother's insults personally, it was just a strange male version of playful teasing. It would have been nice if someone had let him in on that little secret.

The proud demon huffed in disappointment, "I would never associate with such flea-bitten mongrels. I would assume they are here because of the girl. I can't imagine any wild dog or dog demon choosing to follow you without some other incentive involved. Your leadership skills are wholly lacking." With an air of indifference, he stared off into the woods as if he heard something the rest could not register.

Inuyasha kicked one of the scuffling dogs out of his way as he walked towards his brother and Otome. "Yea, well, it seems they are all here because of Otome. She kicked their butts and they have followed her ever since. I don't know what we are going to do with them when we get back to the village. We've tried everything we could think of the get rid of them." He snorted and lowered his voice as if the dogs would understand, "We were hoping that on her human night, they would lose interest and we could lose them in the dust."

Miroku bowed his head in mock sorrow, "Sango is going to kill us if we bring home all these new mouths to feed. Although, I'm sure some could be trained to be almost as useful as Kirara."

Into all this confusion, an additional presence appeared in a whirl of dust. "Hey, dog shit. What are you doing up here? Did the puny humans run you out of town?" There stood Koga, in his fur-trimmed glory, tail swished gently behind him. The blue eyes scanned the milling animals that glared at him and his wolves as they caught up. Miroku mumbled, "Speak of the devil and he shall appear." With a long-suffering sigh, the monk ran a hand down his weary face and mentally prepared himself for the typical male posturing that was about to commence. Seriously, one would think that these two would have matured and mellowed a bit over the past two decades. Maybe demons took longer to learn the lessons that others picked up after the first battering.

Inuyasha instantly bristled and prepared to kill someone. It occurred to the boy that since Koga was a full demon, that Otome's heat scent would affect him to a greater degree than it did anyone except possibly Sesshomaru. In his mind, he hoped that the return of his brother indicated that her cycle was on the down-swing and she did not tempt him as greatly.

As it happened, the half-demon was not the only one concerned by this interloping rival. The white demon lord flexed his sword hand and prepared to intercept any threat towards the girl at his feet. With a quick glance, he determined that the girl was indeed still by his feet. She looked to be awaiting his permission to do something. Though, he could not fathom what she had in that little canine mind of hers.

She seemed to take his searching look as approval, so she turned slightly to peer at the large dogs behind her. A silent communication seemed to pass between them as an instant later, the pack launched at the foreign wolves and wolf demon. Unlike in the wild, where normal wolves were naturally larger than domesticated dogs, these dogs towered over their wolfish cousins. No blood was even shed as mere moments later saw the wolves cowered before the might of the unified dog pack.

Koga sputtered and kicked at the largest dogs that tried to take him down. "Hey, mutt face! Call off your dogs! You better not let them kill any of my wolves!"

Inuyasha looked to his brother for just a minute then snickered. "Aw, afraid your flea-bags might lose in a fair fight?" He crossed his arms over his chest. Inuyasha loved the worried look on his rival's face. "They ain't my dogs. You need to talk to Otome over there." He gestured with a thumb over his shoulder to where the girl sat beside Sesshomaru. "She's the one who sicked 'em on you. Funny, I don't think she likes you very much." The mischievous grin that split the half-demon's face made it clear to all who were present that he was thinking about when the girl peed on Koga's scruffy foot.

The great demon lord relaxed as he realized these newcomers were no real threat. So, with a mental note to ask his brother about the apparent inside joke, he decided to simply sit back and enjoy the show.

Preview of Kagome's life in the next chapter 49 SSDD

Life seemed to stall around her at times. Even though she was with Inuyasha, their relationship never seemed to evolve beyond the looks of adoration and loving touches. There was no kissing, no petting, no words of devotion and binding, no mating or marriage, and no sex. It was a very plutonic relationship and it bothered her on some level. While she was glad he had chosen her over anyone else, their life was like a story written by a prepubescent girl who knew nothing of adult relationships; all fluff but no substance.


	49. Chapter 49 SSDD

AN: Moving into a story arch where some explanations are forthcoming. Enjoy.

Chapter 49 SSDD

Kagome woke to her mother's sweet voice urging her to rise for school. Confusion clung to her as she tried to remember what had happened. Hadn't she just been somewhere else? Then, how did she suddenly wake up in her room like nothing had happened? It didn't make sense.

The scene in the priest's office, facing Naraku, drifted back into her mind like a wisp of a forgotten dream. That couldn't have been real, but every thread of her being believed that it was not a dream. She could remember every detail of that little office.

So, where did that leave her? She needed to talk to her mother. After she dressed and performed her morning routine, she headed downstairs. "Mom?" The woman who looked like an older version of Kagome turned from the sink where she was washing the breakfast pots and pans. "Yes dear? You better hurry if you want to get to school on time. I expect you to eat more than just bread so you have enough energy to perform your best. You know we are counting on you to be the first in our family to go on to college." The encouraging smile left no room for argument.

So, as she stuffed her face, Kagome decided to just get to the point. "Mom, how did I get back here after I passed out in the Priest's office? Did they call you to pick me up?" Although all the food looked wonderful, nothing seemed to taste as good as she remembered; like when she had a head cold and couldn't taste.

Her mother turned slowly and stared at her daughter in bewilderment. "Dear, what Priest are you talking about? No one called me. You went out to your study group last night, and returned around 10:00 PM. Then you studied until I made you turn your lights out at midnight." Her mother walked over and placed a caring hand against Kagome's forehead, checking for a fever. "Maybe you need a break. You've been studying so diligently. It would be a shame to come down with a fever because you are exhausted and stressed." Her mother leaned over and kissed her gently on the forehead. "Don't worry so much. I'm sure you will do fine."

Kagome simply sat and took in all this information. So, there was no visit to a priest who turned out to be Naraku? Maybe it had been just a strange dream brought on by all the stress and studying. How odd. Usually, she had nightmares about failing tests, or passing, only to find it was a mistake. It was strange that she should have a nightmare from what seemed like normal life.

So, with the strange event supposedly explained, to the satisfaction of her limited time, she headed out to start her day. It was amazing how one day morphed into another; then into a week; then into a month. It reminded her of an American saying she had seen on a t-shirt. "Same shit, different day." Every day she rose to her mother's voice, ate a quick, hearty breakfast, and headed out to school. After school, she either, studied with her friends, attended cram school, or headed home to do her homework and help around the shrine. If it weren't for the calendar, she would have sworn she was living the same week over and over again. Life turned tasteless and boring. All the things that she used to enjoy, or that she missed when in the feudal era, seemed to lose their appeal.

The only thing that seemed to liven up her day was the strange demonic hallucinations. She still caught glimpses out of the corner of her eye of unexplained movement. In the end, she convinced herself that these had to be illusions or hallucinations caused by her desire for excitement. Even the feeling of being pursued became so commonplace that she rarely noticed it. The only thing that truly still unsettled her was when she would hear the echo of Naraku's evil laughter. It only happened when she was alone, resting or distracted. She never felt any demonic aura or evil presence of any sort. So, she wasn't quite sure what to think about this. Eventually, even this faded into the background of ennui and repetition.

Before she knew it, she had passed her final exams and graduated high school. Her family took her out to celebrate at some fancy restaurant and offered her gifts and well-wishes for the future. Once the little family had returned home, a stirring in the shrine grounds caught her attention. The familiar pulse that had long been abscent, signaled the return of the power of the Bone-eater's well.

Joy and farewells followed a mad dash to gather supplies, and the time-traveling priestess was off on a new adventure. The difference this time was that she was legally an adult, and therefore, eligible to chart her own course, and decide to stay with Inuyasha in the past if she so chose. Let's face it, he had been her first crush; a puppy love. How would things have changed after three years? Would he still be the same? Would he have matured any? Would he still be pining for the once again dead Kikyo? There were so many variables to consider, there was no way she could predict her future. So, the best she could tell her anxious family was that she would return to them soon, if she were able. If not, she would find some way to leave a message between the roots of the God tree.

It was all so story-book perfect. She returned to find her friends alive and happy. Miroku and Sango had a lovely family. Kaede was still able to serve her village and train little Rin as her apprentice. Sesshomaru visited his ward without spilling any human blood. Then there was Inuyasha. The look of adoration on his face when he would just sit and look at her made her warm all over.

It was all so perfect. They had earned their "happily ever after" ending after all the agony and loss she and her friends had suffered. She looked forward to sharing her life with these wonderful people, and especially her beloved half-demon.

Still, the strange demonic hallucinations continued. Being in the past, it was more likely that these were truly demon encounters, except there was no aura or presence, just like she had experienced in her time. Not only did they continue, but they seemed to increase in frequency. After a few months, the incidents escalated to include sensory hallucinations again. She would be all alone, and she swore something would brush against her. But when she turned, there was nothing there.

Life seemed to stall around her at times. Even though she was with Inuyasha, their relationship never seemed to evolve beyond the looks of adoration and loving touches. There was no kissing, no petting, no words of devotion and binding, no mating or marriage, and no sex. It was a very plutonic relationship and it bothered her on some level. While she was glad he had chosen her over anyone else, their life was like a story written by a prepubescent girl who knew nothing of adult relationships; all fluff but no substance.

Everything was predictable. Sango and Miroku got into spats when his eyes would wander. She would hit him, though not as hard as before, when he would fondle her in public situations that offended her modesty. Inuyasha would do stupid things that would require a sitting. Shippo came and went, showing off his latest pranks. Even the rare demon attacks seemed to come on a schedule. It was quite bizarre, and she seemed to be the only one who noticed.

It was late one night, when sleep eluded her that a strange event occurred that was not predictable. One minute, she was laying in her own futon in her own hut, and then she was blinded by a huge flash of light that was accompanied by a crippling pain that ripped through her body. As the sensations ebbed, she opened her eyes to find she was not in her futon.

It was dark; so very dark. It was so devoid of light that Kagome couldn't even really tell where she ended and the void began. She had experienced something similar to this when she had been lost, alone on a moonless night, but even then, she could vaguely make out lighter patches in the blackness. This was total. This was terrifying.

Not only was it black, but it was silent. There were no sounds of wind, animals, settling wood, breathing friends or anything. She could not even hear her own heartbeat which usually comforted her in the silence.

She cried into the emptiness, "Hello?" and waited. There was no way of telling how long she waited, but it seemed like an eternity. When there was no response, she tried again, "Is anybody here?"

A strange, slithering feeling brushed against her leg. It felt similar to the spirit snake that the dark priestess Tsubaki had used to bite her before she was cursed. Kagome squealed and tried to slap at the presence. A pink glow rose along the skin of her hand and illuminated a gruesome demonic face by her left knee. When her hand contacted the slimy demon, a death shriek rose from its obliterated face.

Kagome screamed and her whole body glowed in defense. In that instant, the dozens of grotesque demons that surrounded her were revealed. Their gnashing teeth dripped poison and ooze; drawing nearer in a circle like sharks.

She curled into a small ball and buried her face in her knees to hide her eyes from the horrible sight. She chanted, "Please, someone help me. Someone find me. I don't want to be here. Please! Please, let me wake up!"

An evil laughter that was all too familiar echoed around and through her very soul. "Silly Kagome. There is no one to save you. You are totally alone with us, as it should be. Why not just let us devour you and get it over with. I promise it will be quick and simple."


	50. Chapter 50 Aging and Maturing

AN: Always wondered, why do Japanese huts have rocks lined up on boards across their roofs? Is this to keep the wood from bowing? Or is it supposed to keep the wood from blowing off in a strong storm? I always thought the rocks would become dangerous projectiles in a Typhoon. Just a random thought. Enjoy the new chapter.

Chapter 50 Aging and Maturing

The storm rumbled oppressively overhead as the group searched desperately for shelter. Normally, a little rain wouldn't deter their travels, but this was a hard, driving rain and excessive gale-force winds. Otome and a few of the smaller dogs were actually getting blown around. The tag-along dogs melted away into the scenery relieving Inuyasha of the need to find such a large hut or cave that could accommodate the whole group.

After almost half a day of slogging through the elements, a small cave appeared in the distance. Luckily it was not already inhabited by any wildlife or demons that needed to be vanquished. The group simply walked in and collapsed. Conversation was slow to commence since two of their group were incapable of human speech, and one of their group was disinclined to engage in human speech.

Finally, Inuyasha ventured out into the storm to search for any dry tinder for a fire. Considering the intensity of the storm, his chances were slim, but when had unbeatable odds ever stopped him. Besides, everyone was soaked and miserable. If he couldn't start a warming fire, then the group would be forced to sit about in nothing but their underthings, and Otome never anything under her modified slayer uniform. He shuddered as the image of a semi-naked Sesshomaru drove him to search harder.

As darkness came early, the girl disappeared into the far reaches of the little cave. Sesshomaru's eyes caught this movement as he was not going to lose her again to her instincts on her human night. Had no one else realized what this night was? Considering the limited intellect of the group, it was no wonder. It was fortunate that he had searched the cave for any rear entrances that might let danger in or let small dog demon hybrids out.

In a flurry of watered down silk, Sesshomaru rose to investigate his foundling's whereabouts. The walls of the rear of the cave were not smooth. There were layers of jutting rocks with washed out crags between the layers. It was one such spot, about knee-high, where he found the girl. She had literally squeezed herself into a long flat shelf-like opening. Only her eyes shown in the dark recess and a quiet whimper let him know she was aware of his presence.

As he had on the night of her first transformation, the demon lord chose to sit beside her hideaway. In his mind, his actions were to prevent the girl from disappearing. If she derived some comfort from the display, that was unintended. Still, it made the demon relax when he felt a gentle touch as the girl reached out and grasped a small bit of silk.

Eventually, the slightly drier monk and the stripped down half-demon joined the pair at the rear of the cave. The distance from the swirling entrance allowed the small fire to smolder and catch. Although there was no dried food left for the traveling group, no one was totally starved either. They had stopped that morning at a road-side stand and filled their bellies with as much food as the monk's money and charm could earn.

After Inuyasha and Miroku made plans for the coming day, assuming the storm abated, Miroku turned his diplomacy towards the silent demon. "Forgive me for interrupting your reverie, Lord Sesshomaru, but a topic arose before our departure of which you may have knowledge." The holy man paused for some reaction to continue. With Sesshomaru, it was hard to say if no reaction was consent to continue, or denying your existence.

In this case, the slight shifting of the golden eyes towards the monk's person seemed to indicate interest, so Miroku continued. "The Lady Kikyo made a comment that my lovely Sango and I do not seem to be aging as would be normal of our age and species. It was not something any of us had noticed, until it was brought to our attention. Now that I look back on it, I can see that both Sango and I should be graying and wrinkling, yet we are not." He paused to think back on the last twenty years.

As the monk wandered in his memories and thoughts, the demon truly looked at the man that sat before him. Shock coursed through the demon as he realized the monk spoke the truth. Nary a wrinkle broke the smooth skin of the man's face that should have been leathery and craggy after so many years in the elements fighting demons. How had this escaped his notice? Was there some way to extend human life beyond its normal dismal expectancy? This piqued his interest. He had once sought such a miracle when he had found a human that intrigued him, but she was gone before he had an opportunity to find such an answer. After that, he simply resigned himself to the impending loss of his human ward and tried to ignore the inevitable outcome.

Miroku turned his eyes and thoughts back to the thoughtful demon. "Forgive my rudeness, Lord Sesshomaru. I was lost in my own thoughts for a moment." The white head bowed fractionally to indicate for him to continue. "We speculated on many possibilities for such an anomaly in our aging process. One had to do with the presence of the Shikon Shard that Naraku had placed in Sango's body when he initially sent her to slay Inuyasha. So, if that were the cause, Kohaku would also exhibit the same lack of aging. We wondered if you had noticed any stunted growth in the boy the last time you visited him and Rin?"

Now this truly caught the demon's attention. He turned his searching eyes towards the opening of the little cave as his thoughts turned to his last several visits. The boy had grown into a fine man; tall and lean. But, did he look to be in his thirties? For that matter, did Rin? Human ages were so difficult for a demon to determine, especially one who paid as little attention to humans as did the great and terrible Lord Sesshomaru. Still, he remembered thinking in his last few visits that the pair looked the same as they had when they were bound in human marriage in their late teens.

With a quiet nod, the lord spoke for the first time that day, "I have noticed the pair has not seemed to age beyond early adulthood. But Rin has never carried a shard." His eyes looked back to the monk to see what the man made of this. Only the wind howling outside could be heard for several minutes as the holy man digested this bit of information. In a thoughtful voice, the monk continued, "Yes, that is the question. I, myself, have also never carried a shard in my body yet I seem to share Sango's agelessness. I had originally thought that is was possibly the medicine that Sango and I were both exposed to in the sake jars of Yakurou Dokusen, but then neither Kohaku nor Rin were exposed to the demon's medicines."

Silence enveloped the men as they thought. Strangely enough, it was Inuyasha who made a smart observation. "Maybe there ain't just one cause. Maybe there are other things at work here. You even said yourself that you absorbed thousands of demons and their toxins into your wind tunnel. Maybe carrying the tainted jewel shard for as long as he did changed Kohaku and something else changed Rin?"

Sesshomaru was pleasantly surprised at the wisdom that spewed from his normally crass and crude half-brother. Maybe being exposed to great thinkers like the monk and the reanimated priestess was good for the boy.

While he tapped a finger against his bottom lip, Miroku thought long and hard about this new suggestion. "I suppose it's true that there are several possible causes but Lady Rin was exposed to none of the others." Silence stretched in the flickering firelight.

Not one to volunteer privileged information, Sesshomaru decided to share some events involving his ward, "As you may know, Rin was killed by wolves shortly after our first meeting. I used Tenseiga to revive her." Both the men nodded that they did indeed know this fact. "What you may not know is that while I was searching for the secrets of our father's swords, I traveled into Hell. Rin and Kohaku followed me. The girl perished in Hell and the sword could not revive her. Only through the power of my mother, using the Meidou-seki was the child restored to life. It is quite possible that the two deaths and the methods of her revival could be the cause of her abnormal aging." It took all of his considerable mental control for the demon lord not to submerge into the horrid memories of his first true experience with the grief and sadness that accompanied the loss of a loved one to death. He had defeated the Master of Hell but failed to resurrect his little Rin. He literally went through hell for he child. He shook himself to return to the present and relegate that thought for another time. He voiced another option, "Were we not all exposed to Naraku's shoki in the last battle?"

Inuyasha snorted and mumbled under his breath, "Hell, if being dead and resurrected twice was the cause, then Kikyo wouldn't be aging either, and she's definitely looking rough. As for Naraku, can't imagine anything good coming from that asshole."

The other two men stared dumbfounded at the half-demon's statement. Not one to let a perfect opportunity for tweaking his brother pass him by, the demon commented, "My Inuyasha, so disrespectful of your priestess. Did you finally learn that reality rarely lives up to fantasy?"

As expected, the dog-eared boy rose to his feet practically foaming at the mouth. "Kikyo ain't "my" ANYTHING! Since she was resurrected, she's just a friend. That's all she'll ever be, so just leave it alone!" And with that, the boy stomped away from the group. He stood, stiff, by the entrance where the typhoon outside whipped at his hair and robes. Storming off in a huff wasn't quite as effective when you couldn't disappear into the night.

All conversation ceased after that explosion, and the men settled down in their respective places to rest. It was a long, torturous night, as the howling of the wind prevented any restful sleep. Every so often, Otome would let out a quiet whimper as if she were trying to coax Inuyasha into returning to the back wall where she lay hidden. But the boy would not relinquish his pout.

Morning dawned quiet and sparkling. All the water left by the tempest glittered like diamonds in the daylight. In a flash of movement, Inuyasha sprinted to the back of the cave, and dragged the newly transformed Otome out of her crevice. With a wicked grin on his face, the half-demon explained, "Now is the perfect time to lose our little doggy pack before they find their way back to her scent. Come on! Let's see if you can keep up!" and he pivoted and leaped out of the cave entrance, with a stunned Otome over his shoulder; black and white hair billowed behind them like a flag. Taking to the trees, Inuyasha ensured that the ground-based dogs and dog demons could not track her scent. Even though Miroku would leave a trail, he doubted the canines would follow the monk. He might have been elevated in the eyes of the pack, but Otome was dominant.

It was mid-morning when the monk's weary call and the girl's incessant squirming called his mad dash to a halt. Once the boy stopped, Otome scrambled away from him like he was diseased. She sat far away from him, with her head cocked to the side and wary of any movements he made in her direction. Obviously, his actions had the girl completely baffled. Still, it was worth it to have lost their seemingly unshakeable pack.

Miroku leaned heavily on his staff and panted after he entered the small clearing. "I'm getting out of shape. I would say I'm getting too old for this sort of thing, but apparently, that's no longer the case." His rakish smile showed the humor he felt in the statement. "Ah, just think of all the many more years I'll have to cherish my beloved Sango."

In a mocking voice, Inuyasha responded, "And just think of all the years of her bashing you over the head when you are being perverted. She'll "cherish" you right into brain damage."

Still, no amount of sarcasm could dim the glimmer in Miroku's eyes. "I wonder how long we will live. Do you think we could live long enough to meet Kagome in her time? I would love to see the wonders she described, and to eat her home cooking again. I wonder how many children Sango and I could have? I always wanted twenty or so."

Sesshomaru landed gracefully next to Otome and patted her head in greeting. "Monk, have you not already sired several dozen offspring?"

The holy man bowed in acknowledgment. Who knew that the great demon would care enough to keep up with how many children he and Sango had created? So much for his image as a human hater. "You are correct, Lord Sesshomaru. Still, my only dream in life, before we defeated Naraku, was to be a normal man, live to a ripe old age, and die surrounded by my loving wife and dozens of loving children. Surely you have felt this way also? Besides, there is something incredibly beautiful about seeing my beloved heavy with my child." He cocked his head a bit and glanced up at the clear sky. "It goes beyond possession or male pride. It's an incredible miracle that a small piece of me has helped to create a completely new life. As much as I have and will always love my dear Sango, I never knew pure love until I beheld my first child. It was like my heart expanded and crowded out my lungs." His misty eyes turned abruptly back to the demon lord that he had been addressing, and he humbly bowed his head. "I sincerely apologize, Lord Sesshomaru. I sometimes ramble on like a fishwife when I get started talking about my children."

The dog demon made no comment, and left the moment alone. The others thought he had turned to ignore them, when in truth, the monk's words had struck a harmonizing cord deep in his being. He had daydreamed of his own children just a few weeks ago, when he had not realized that Otome's heat was affecting him. The ache to see his heir take his first breath; to open his eyes for the first time; to hold the tiny, fragile body, knowing he could destroy the little tyke in an instant; to watch all the firsts as the child ventured into life. Raising Rin had offered him a tiny glimpse into what he had been missing by putting off mating. Still, he was a young demon, relatively speaking. He had not truly come into his own power until the defeat of Naraku. Before that, he had just been a spoiled child; angry at the world that he didn't get the sword he thought he deserved. And in his childishness, he had let two of the most amazing women slip away from him. Regret was a horrible traveling companion when trekking through such a long life.

Looking down at his foundling, Sesshomaru again patted the mop of midnight black hair and set a slow enough pace that the girl could keep up without sprinting. With Rin and now Otome, he felt like he had the chance to redeem his horrible past choices. He would never hesitate again to save someone he cared for; no matter what the circumstances; no matter if it's his place to do the rescuing or not. His eyes drifted up to his half-brother. Yes, that even included the stubborn half-breed, and most likely his motley pack. But, he wouldn't tell the boy that. Wouldn't want him to get lazy. A slow, smirk grew on the demon's face as he headed towards Inuyasha's forest.


	51. Chapter 51 Encounter

Chapter 51 Encounter

Life settled back down once the travelers returned to the demon slayer village. As predicted, neither Sango nor Kikyo were thrilled at the addition of the 3 dog mononokes that had trailed the group home. But, neither Miroku nor Inuyasha were threatened with bodily damage. Strangely enough, the three new "dogs" seemed to be extremely intelligent and fit right in with the villagers and quickly earned their trust.

A counsel of the elders gathered on Kikyo's front porch to once again name the newcomers. It was much simpler this time as each dog had very unique characteristics. The male with a strange cow-lick on the top of his head became "Spike." The one female with various spots on her sides became "Spot." Then, there was the smallest one that stood about as tall as a normal dog, who earned the name of "Runt." Each dog seemed to take to their names like they had known them for their whole lives.

As close as the demons in the group could tell (which would be Sesshomaru) the three new additions were roughly the same age as Otome and carried a similar scent. There was even some speculation that they might be littermates of Otome's. It was not unusual to find the three dog demons and Otome rolling and wrestling in the dirt like a pack of energetic puppies. But, at least once a week, the three dog demons would disappear for a day or two; presumably to hunt for their meals. From the carcasses found, it seemed these canines had a preference for lesser demons. This was fine with everyone, and actually helped to make Inuyasha's job as village protector easier.

It was on one such day, where the three dog demons were absent that Inuyasha rested on the roof of Kikyo's hut. There were no threats around. He had already made a sweep of the surrounding fields and woods, and dealt with anything demonic. It was his right to take a small break before heading out to aid the village men in clearing an additional field for winter crops. He closed his eyes, knowing that everything was safe, and Otome was off with Shippo, playing with the village children.

"Unka Inu-wassa! Bad man hurt puppy!" The little toddler called out as she stumbled towards Inuyasha. This was Miroku's youngest daughter who still could not pronounce either the words "uncle" or "Inuyasha." It still made him smile when she tried.

Registering what little Hitomi has said, he hopped down and scooped up the tiny girl. "What do you mean, Hitomi? What happened? Where's puppy?" The tiniest villagers persisted in calling the girl "puppy." Careful of his claws, the half-demon headed to Miroku and Sango's hut to return the child to Sango who was probably frantic.

Big round tears swelled in the wide purple eyes as the baby tried to explain, "Tomi lost. Puppy find Tomi. Tomi wide puppy home. Bad man scawe Tomi. Puppy gwowl. Puppy bite bad man. Bad man huwt puppy wid papers like Daddy." Miroku sprinted over with a sigh of "Thank goodness." when he heard the cries of his youngest, and heard most of the story. He held up a sutra before Hitomi and asked, "Tomi, was the paper like this?" Inuyasha felt a shiver of fear race down his spine as the little girl's head bobbled up and down as she nodded.

Miroku yelled for Sango. Hitomi was immediately handed off to her mother as the two men headed in the direction the child had pointed. As they sprinted, both men thought the same thing. Some holy man had found Otome and the child, and thought the demon was hurting the toddler. Otome had defended the little girl, thinking the Priest was going to attack. There was no telling what damage the girl's body had sustained from a purifying attack, if the Monk had thrown sacred sutras in defense.

Inuyasha could only think back to the time he had faced the horrifyingly strong purifying powers of the holy barrier at Mt. Hakurei. It had been excruciatingly painful and he found himself purified into his human form. Doubt crept into his mind on whether there was enough human inside Otome to keep her from being purified out of existence. It wasn't like on a human night when the demon blood simply was suppressed. Would her human part be enough to sustain life? Or, would she collapse like the empty skin a snake sheds as it molts?

Inuyasha's nose had no trouble back-tracking the path little Hitomi had taken to reach the village. It worried him that he could still not detect Otome's unique scent. Even though the girl bathed more often than any 10 village women, her odor was quite strong and easy to track.

Miroku was using his enhanced speed to keep up with the anxious half-demon, so he almost overshot the clearing where Inuyasha skidded to a halt. It took a moment for the monk to register his friend's movements, and adjust his own trajectory.

Shouting from a male voice drew their eyes. There before them, was a shocking sight. The first thing they noticed was a monk in a straw hat that stood just at the edge of the clearing, screaming at an eerily familiar male who stood between the monk and a small bundle of black and green under a thorn bush. Inuyasha lifted his nose to sniff for this strange man's scent. A smell he swore he would never detect again hit him hard enough to force him to take a staggering step back. The snarl ripped from his lips as he advanced, "Byakuya"

The man turned shocked eyes towards the sudden appearance of the half demon. Recognition flashed in black eyes, then he turned away from the approaching demon to intercept a sutra that the angry monk had thrown towards the thorn bush. Inuyasha almost tripped when he realized that the object under the bush was likely Otome, and a detachment of his arch-enemy had just protected the girl. Reality as we know it had just ended.

Both men sprinted to the side of the struggling girl. The furious half-demon intercepted another flying sutra in his fist and used the same fist to unleash a punishing blow to the shocked holy-man's nose. In a flurry of grayish-white robes, the priest flew into a tree and crumpled into unconsciousness. Then Inuyasha turned red-tinted eyes towards Byakuya. If the bastard was going to try anything, he was not going to be taken by surprise. Still, why would such an evil being stoop to protect a simple dog demon girl?

Meanwhile, Miroku rolled his billowing sleeves up to reach into the bush despite the brambles. He kept a wary eye towards his friend and enemy. With a few gentle tugs, he freed Otome from the sheltering foliage. What greeted his searching sight was not what he expected. Otome's mop of black hair was a shocking dusty gray. Also, the exposed flesh of her arms and legs was a ghastly white that reminded him of a corpse. The girl looked like she had rolled in the ashes of a dead fire. This was definitely not how she looked on her human nights. She looked like a demon the instant before they dissolved after being purified.

As he surveyed her body he found three sacred sutras plastered to her; one on her back, one tangled in her hair and one stuck to her right calf. His temper flared as he realized that the despicable traveling monk must have plastered these on her after she was already down, because there as no way she would have turned her back on an opponent. Without any thought to his own safety, Miroku swiftly peeled the offending paper off his friend's blistering flesh. The papers imploded as the conflicting holy powers collided; one offensive, and the other defensive.

Inuyasha and a silent Byakuya simply watched as Miroku gently grasped the girl's arm and turned her over as soon as the sutras were removed from her back. The usually curious and open face he expected to see was pinched and strained from obvious pain. There, in the middle of her chest, were three more sutras that had burned through her clothes and blackened the skin beneath. Inuyasha remembered how much that type of power hurt and wished he could somehow take on the pain himself.

The monk moved swiftly; issued a statement of apology and removed these offending papers. One sutra was different. Where the others were purifying sutras, this last one was a spell of sealing. Apparently, the monk had sealed some of her strength to slow her down enough that he could plaster her with the others that would slowly kill her. It made Miroku sick to his stomach to think that traveling monk professed to be a holy man!

Inuyasha looked on helplessly, and wished there was something he could do to help. He asked the angered monk, "She should be fine now, right? I mean, she's not a full demon, so she should be able to survive this." Miroku only shook his head in response. "I don't really know, Inuyasha. I don't know how this will affect her. She's not a normal half-demon. From what I understand, on your human night, your demon blood wanes, but is still present. Only time will tell."

Miroku stood and faced the two posturing males. His concerned face morphed into a hate-filled scowl, "Byakuya, what is the meaning of this? How can you be alive and what is your business with Otome?"

The evil half-demon shook his head and gestured towards the girl, "We don't have time for this! We must get the girl some help. If you won't do it, move aside and let me take her somewhere!" Intentions notwithstanding, the demon should never have made a move towards the injured girl.

Inuyasha shook with the effort to not blindly attack this horror from their past. He had finally learned to ask questions before racing into a situation. Still, he twitched with the desire to smite this man. Oddly enough, it was Miroku who lashed out. The staff glanced off the demon's head and rendered him instantly unconscious.

Inuyasha blinked in surprise at the normally calm monk. Miroku frowned deeply, "Well, that was anticlimactic. So, what do we do with him now? I don't think it would be wise to leave him loose until we know what scheme he's up to."

The half demon snorted and griped, "Fine, you carry Otome and I'll tote the garbage home." Inuyasha just grabbed the enemy and slung him over his shoulder, "I always knew he was a wimp. Always hiding behind illusions and then flying away on his little paper birdy when things got tough. You know we could just kill him and get it over with." But both men silently acknowledged that they would not kill this enemy until they learned how he was still alive and what his appearance meant.

It was a somber pair that carried the seemingly faded human Otome back to the village. Inuyasha studied her carefully for any signs that the trip was hurting her. She was in enough pain, they didn't need to jar her and create more. It disturbed his canine senses that she didn't smell right.

Gone were the cute, black, fuzzy, pointed demon ears. In their place sat two fleshy, round human ears. The deep, navy, demon markings that proudly twined around her neck and upper arms were also conspicuously missing. In their place was pale, unmarked skin. Her skin was a sickly ashen pale color instead of reflecting the usual healthy tan. The deep blue-black luster of her thick mane had faded to a ghastly gray. Lastly, her hands and feet were missing the tiny claws that helped her speed over the ground when she ran. All together, these changes gave the appearance that she was fading away; that she was becoming transparent.

Sango met them outside Kikyo's hut, still carrying Hitomi. The toddler called out "Puppy!" in a sad, pleading voice. The toddler waited for the happy yip that usually responded to her call, but only received silence. Little Hitomi began crying that her "puppy" was badly hurt and begged her Mommy to kiss the boo-boo and make it better.


	52. Chapter 52 Altered

Chapter 52 Altered

Sesshomaru approached the village, confused that he could not find Otome's aura. It had always burned brightly with energy and innocence. It was like a candle that welcomed him after his lonely wanderings. Now it was absent. This fact caused an unsettled feeling within the great demon. At this time of night, the female retreated to the Priestess' hut. Even he knew the girl was terrified of the dark. She should be in the hut since Inuyasha's pack was in residence in the village.

With an ever silent step, the demon strode into the hut to investigate. The tense mood of the room was overwhelming. The three humans, two demons and one half-demon turned somber eyes towards the new arrival but spoke not a word. In the second little room, Sesshomaru smelled the familiar scent of another human. The frown on his face grew deeper. It should not be the girl's human night.

The darkness drew back as he approached to reveal a heart-wrenching sight. There, on a pallet on the floor, lye a ghostly imposter of Otome. His gut tightened in revulsion at the sight of her. It was wrong that she was stretched out on the floor, instead of hidden above the hutch where she slept by choice. It was wrong that her vivacious aura was dimmed to barely that of even a human. It was wrong that her deep, black hair had turned the color of ash. It was wrong that her inquisitive, innocent eyes were closed in the deathly gray face.

Fear and memories gripped him as he recognized the first stage of purification. He had watched the little modern priestess purify demons. It was not that different from what he had witnessed of Kagura's demise. He could not watch another worthy female taken from the world in such a brutal manner.

Without being asked, Miroku explained what had occurred. "It wasn't Inuyasha's fault. Otome went out searching for my youngest daughter who had wandered off. As far as we can tell, the two encountered a traveling monk who thought Otome was going to hurt Hitomi." The monk paused, angered at what had happened next.

Inuyasha jumped in to continue the tale, "That bastard plastered her with sutras, and even stuck a few more on her when she was already down. Some holy man!" He would have spit on the floor in anger if he wasn't in Kikyo's hut.

The girl lay on her side on the little futon. She had been dressed in a simple, white sleeping yukata which parted in the front and exposed the rectangular burn marks on her ashen chest. The very demon markings that he had proudly witnessed being raised only weeks before were practically invisible; only silver hints of the deep navy strokes that had graced her form. The smell of burned flesh drifted about the room like smoke.

The great demon moved closer and folded his frame up against the wall just to the left of her little pallet and reached for the delicate hand that jutted out from the robe. With an atypical gentleness, he placed the entwined hands under his bent knee to simulate her sleeping desire to reach out and touch him. Silently, he hoped the contact would comfort the girl. Her skin was cold and the cute claws that had graced her digits were gone. The irrational need to hold onto her hand and anchor her to this mortal plane gripped Sesshomaru so hard he almost crushed her fragile fingers.

Kikyo knelt on the other side of the girl and gently brushed the gray hair away from her pale face. "We think that her human part is just barely enough to keep her alive. If she survives the next few days, she should be…" She just couldn't bring herself to say "fine." Because, in truth, none of them knew how this would affect their friend. Would she revert back to her mostly demon self? Would she stay a human? None of them could say. The most experience they had with this type of thing was the holy barrier at Mt. Hakurei when Inuyasha had been purified into his human form only to revert to a half-demon after he moved away.

Kikyo could only do so much for a purified demon. As far as she and Miroku could tell, Otome no longer possessed a demonic aura. Still, there was no way to tell if she could survive as a human. Her breathing was slow and labored. Her skin was cold and clammy. Her hair and skin color still remained the shade of ashen gray that demons disintegrated into. Yet, by nightfall, she had not reverted to dust. That in itself seemed to be a good sign. As long as her condition didn't worsen, there was hope for recovery.

Sesshomaru remained silent. His thoughts turned to the day he had watched Kagura go. It had been a horrible, helpless feeling. How he had regretted in that moment that he had refused to help free her from Naraku at their first meeting. But he had been taught from birth that you had to earn everything. He had denied her request because it irritated him to see people who were unwilling to even try to solve their own problems. Still, he had not known the terrible predicament in which she lived. He had no appreciation for the danger he placed her in with his demands. And when he finally understood, it was too late. He watched as her very essence dissolved into the breeze. He had been happy that she gained the freedom she desired, but at the same time, he felt that the world was somehow diminished. He had not understood the feelings.

And here he sat again; helpless; waiting for this girl's demise. He didn't know if he could maintain his calm demeanor if the hand he was holding so desperately were to suddenly evaporate into dust. This strange girl tugged at him in ways that only Rin, Kagome and Kagura had ever affected him. How he wanted her to open her eyes, look at him with trust and wag her non-existent tail. Somehow, he had allowed himself to get attached without even realizing.

The night stretched slowly as the group kept a vigil over the struggling girl. Each breath took great effort to draw as if she had to remind her body to perform the act. Her heart stuttered and paused several times. The demons in the group tensed and held their breath each time and prayed that the next breath or beat would soon follow.


	53. Chapter 53 Wind

Chapter 53 Wind

The morning dawned to reveal four very drawn and exhausted elders and a still struggling Otome in the little hut. It was then that the group decided to deal with the enemy they had dragged home. The man in question had been trussed up with magic enhanced ropes, and immobilized with Miroku's sutras. Hopefully he had spent a miserably uncomfortable night in the little storage building on the side of Kikyo's hut.

Within the hut, before anyone made a move to exit, a great gust of wind blew through the open windows. Sesshomaru remained seated beside his foundling, where he had been all night. His eyes widened as a fine layer of gray ash rose from the girl as the breeze passed Otome. His mind screamed, "NO! Not again!" Even though he remained calm in appearance, he grasped the girl's hand even tighter. Beside him, the women gasped at the scene.

All eyes turned to the still girl and expected to see her disintegrate into a cloud of dust. All held their breaths and prayed for a miracle. Instead of her demise, the group noticed that the removal of the ash revealed her true color beneath. Streaks of deepest black shone through the gray layer of her hair, and the breeze revealed patches of her normal skin tone.

Kikyo knelt beside the quiet girl, and carefully stroked her face with a wet cloth. More of the sickly gray film disappeared, showing healthy skin beneath. Sango reached over and ruffled the faded hair and more dust blew away. Within moments, the two women had cleaned away the sickly color of purification.

Gently, Kikyo pulled the collar of the kimono away from her shoulder and searched for the navy demon markings. With a bit more wiping, she found a very faint blue line arching across her chest to circle her neck. A collective sigh of relief was felt in the hut as it seemed their friend would recover.


	54. Chapter 54 Interrogation

Chapter 54 Interrogation

The detachment of Naraku sat huddled in shame on the edge of the porch surrounded by the hostile elders. His voice barely reached the others. "I'm not Byakuya. I know you won't believe me, but I'm Onigumo."

Inuyasha grumbled, "That ain't much better." Kikyo remained in the doorframe; arms crossed and eyes full of doubt and anger. This was the creature that had ruined her life and all of the lives of those gathered here. This was the sick man who offered himself to demons in order to possess her. In her first life, she had been taught not to hate, and to have compassion for all pitiful creatures. In her time as the walking dead, she had learned to despise and to especially loathe this man and what he became. So, it was no wonder to anyone present that she fairly reeked of hate.

Naraku's detachment hung his head and spoke to the ground, "You're right. I'm just as wicked and sinful as the creatures I allowed to consume me. I…I know I can never atone for what I did, but I've tried."

Miroku and Sango were closest to the creature and both wanted to strike him dead before he could spread anymore lies. What trick was this? How many times had Naraku seemingly vanished, to only be revived or reappear? Sango snarled, "You sick bastard. You think you can atone for all the horrific deaths you've caused? You think being sorry will bring back my family? Or Miroku's? Or Shippos? Or the thousands of innocents who were slaughtered in your selfish quest for power? Will an apology return the years Inuyasha lost because of your treachery?" She would have continued on except that Miroku grasped her in a comforting hug.

A quiet voice rose from the hunched man, "No. I know I can't bring back all those that Naraku destroyed. No matter how much I wish I could." Finally, his face rose to look at those who would pass sentence on his tainted soul. His eyes looked as tortured as Kohaku's used to look when he remembered his transgressions. "I didn't know what would happen when I gave my crippled body to the demons. I just wanted to move again. I was going insane alone in that cave, with only Kikyo's kindness and companionship. Then, it all went wrong. I could only watch as my new body performed horrendous acts of depravity. Even in my darkest nightmares, I could not have foreseen the atrocities that were Naraku. There was no way to stop him, even in his weakened states. Though, I managed to cause him problems before he jettisoned my human parts."

The man searched the eyes of those who stared down at him. None believed him. He sighed wistfully, "I'm not here to beg for forgiveness; no matter how much I yearn for it. I've only come to fulfill a promise to the one who rescued me from my eternal hell. If you should find that I deserve death for my sins, I will gladly submit to your justice."

Inuyasha tired of his whining voice and interrupted, "Just answer me this. How can you still be alive when we killed Naraku? We saw you sucked into the Meidou before Kagome. Didn't he control you with your heart like he did Kagura and Kanna? If this is another sick trick of that bastard's we'll slice you to ribbons quicker than you can blink!"

Onigumo's voice was distracted and hollow, "I was not under Naraku's control for a very long time. Before the final battle, Onigumo's soul had returned to this body and freed it from Naraku. Still, we had to act in a way to not garner suspicion. It was the only way I could save her."

The angry voice of Kikyo finally entered the conversation, "What? You expect us to believe you were some kind of hero? That you saved someone? Don't make me laugh. Who could you have saved?"

The condemned man's voice grew even quieter as he whispered one name with reverence. "Kagome."

Sesshomaru and Inuyasha both bristled as one of their greatest enemies spoke the futuristic priestess' name. But it was the demon lord who reacted physically. In a blink, the prisoner was hoisted up by the front of his kimono and shaken like a rag doll. The usual cold, indifferent tone of the demon was laced with malice and disgust, "You shall not speak her name! You are unworthy to even think about the priestess!" Inuyasha was in complete agreement and spat, "What makes you think we would believe you saved Kagome. As I recall, you were the one who cut her with your stupid sword, then generated the copy Meidou that sucked her into the void and to her death!"

The dangling man gasped out, "It was the only way to save her from Naraku. She didn't die in the Meidou." This exclamation stunned the demon into dropping the gasping man. His mind tried to grasp this thought. 'She didn't die in the Meidou?' She didn't die? Then where was she?'

But Inuyasha had heard enough and drew his sword again. He menaced the heap of man on the ground, "I saw her die! You forget, I went in after her. I saw the demons that laughed at tricking her into making a wish on the Shikon which trapped her within the damn jewel. I watched Naraku's evil soul as it materialized within the jewel to continue the fight." Jagged blue stripes surfaced on Inuyasha's face as he snarled.

Without hesitation, Sesshomaru punched his brother square in the jaw and rendered him unconscious. It was simpler to hit him than to fight the angry, transformed half-demon. Sango ignored the altercation and asked the logical question. "If Naraku was trapped in the jewel, then how are you here now? Weren't you there too?"

The man looked at the woman and amazed at the intelligence of this group that he had fought against over the years. His grin was self-deprecating. "Yes, I was there, trapped in the void as well. Still, I was helpless to change anything, or to control Naraku. Your friend was tricked and trapped in there to fight the demons for eternity." His eyes turned to the downed half-demon. "That is what he saw. It was an illusion to cause him to retreat and cease his rescue efforts. The spirit of the jewel wanted her pure soul to replenish the battle."

With a harsh, disbelieving frown on his face, Miroku continued the questioning, "That may be, but that still does not explain how you are here, and not still within the jewel"


	55. Chapter 55 The Void

Chapter 55 The Void

It was dark; so very dark. It was so devoid of light that Kagome couldn't even really tell where she ended and the void began. She had experienced something similar to this when she had been lost, alone on a moonless night, but even then, she could vaguely make out lighter patches in the blackness. This was total. This was terrifying.

Not only was it black, but it was silent. There were no sounds of wind, animals, settling wood, breathing friends or anything. She could not even hear her own heartbeat which usually comforted her in the silence.

She cried into the emptiness, "Hello?" and waited. There was no way of telling how long she waited, but it seemed like an eternity. When there was no response, she tried again, "Is anybody here?"

A strange, slithering feeling brushed against her leg. It felt similar to the shikigami that the dark priestess Tsubaki had used to bite her before she was cursed. Kagome squealed and tried to slap at the presence. A pink glow rose along the skin of her hand and illuminated a gruesome demonic face by her left knee. When her hand contacted the slimy demon, a death shriek rose from its obliterated face.

Kagome screamed and her whole body glowed in defense. In that instant, the dozens of grotesque demons that surrounded her were revealed. Their gnashing teeth dripping poison and ooze; drawing nearer in a circle like sharks.

She curled into a small ball and buried her face in her knees to hide her eyes from the horrible sight. She chanted, "Please, someone help me. Someone find me. I don't want to be here. Please! Please!"

An evil laughter that was all too familiar echoed around and through her very soul. "Silly Kagome. There is no one to save you. You are totally alone with us, as it should be. Why not just let us devour you and get it over with. I promise it will be quick and simple."

The girl cried out in terror, "Where are we? I don't understand. I was just at home with Inuyasha! Things were finally like they were supposed to be! What's happening?"

Naraku's voice still echoed, but it took on a condescending tone, "Poor Kagome doesn't know what's happening. Shall I tell you? Shall I remind you of the day you were sucked into the Meidou?" The swirling horde of demons closed in and one took a nip at her exposed leg, only to be purified by the residual pink glow on her skin.

Naraku's evil laughter echoed again, "I made a wish on that cursed jewel before our final battle. I wished to be forever with Kikyo. Little did I know the sick perversity of the jewel in granting less than pure wishes." His voice sounded resentful as he continued, " It seems these wicked little demons that are trapped in here get a sick pleasure in twisting wishes. I'm sure you've experienced this phenomenon as you collected the shards."

The eerie horde of demons seemed to part and the outline of Naraku appeared in the opening. "So, instead of sending me to the afterlife where I longed for eternal rest with Kikyo, this sick bauble trapped me within itself with the 'reincarnation' of the woman I loved. Isn't that just ironic justice? In life, I could never have the woman I desired, so in death, I must abide with the pale copy of that woman. A copy that looks enough like Kikyo to constantly remind me of what I want; but different enough that I am reminded of what I don't have. Such an evil plot; it was worthy of one of my own."

Kagome raised her head to stare dumbstruck at the spider that was laughing at his own misfortune. She knew Naraku was twisted, but she never thought the jewel was as well. It did make sense though, since it had absorbed his evil presence while it had been out of her possession. Who knew she was the polar opposite of this evil half-demon conglomerate and could keep the jewel in balance?

Naraku continued after he noticed he had the girl's attention. "So, here we are. The will of the jewel was to pull you in and continue fighting. Seems Midoriko has grown weak and feeble in her confinement, and provided the demons no challenge and sport any longer. They grew bored. They wanted a new toy. You!" The gaping maws of the circling demons seemed to grin at the telling of their motives.

Kagome unwound from her protective position, "I don't understand. How can we be inside the jewel? I thought it would vanish once it was wished on?"

Naraku laughed again at her naiveté. "Silly little priestess. That's only if there is a pure wish, and that would only be granted if Midoriko could overpower the evil within the jewel. Can you really imagine all these scheming, evil demons granting a pure wish? Come now. Even you can't possibly be that naïve?"

He sauntered up to the standing girl and reached a tentacle towards her face as if to gently stroke her cheek. The appendage was incinerated within inches of her skin by the surrounding pink aura. He chuckled, "Still so strong after all this time. It's simple really. You are here because of my wish. I am here because the jewel has twisted my wish. Since my wish was not pure, the jewel still exists. As to where the jewel actually is in the physical world, that's anyone's guess. I would assume that it made its way to the afterlife again through the Meidou, which would explain the strength of the evil that surrounds us."

Kagome sensed the auras of the surrounding beings for the first time since awakening in the darkness. What the spider said was true. There was nothing here but the evil of the demons. There were no structures, no animals, no world; just emptiness. Shouldn't she sense Midoriko even is she had greatly weakened? As she expanded her senses, she could feel the dome-like edges of the surrounding jewel. The shock must have shown on her face.

Naraku scoffed, "Are you only now just sensing that you are alone here? Yes. Where did the old priestess Midoriko go? Hmmm, maybe I should just leave you in the dark, literally and figuratively?" He chuckled at his own joke. But like most evil geniuses, he just couldn't help but show off his intelligence and superiority. "Yes, little Kagome. The priestess used the last of her strength and spiritual powers to awaken you from your little delusions. You have spent an eternity here, in this place, fighting off us demons. It seems that it was too much for your puny little human mind, so you retreated into an imaginary world in your own head. Your powers protected you automatically so you didn't need to even think about what happened in this realm."

Kagome gasped. Could that be true? Could the past four years have been only a figment of her imagination? But she had gone to school! She had graduated! She had finally been accepted by the well to travel back to her beloved Inuyasha and Feudal era life! She had finally won Inuyasha's affections and seen Miroku and Sango's children. That couldn't have been a dream. It was more likely that all this was the dream, and that she would wake up any moment now and laugh with her friends and swear off whatever food had caused such a nightmare.

Naraku just chuckled again. Somehow it seemed that he had become almost psychic in his ability to read her reactions. "Oh, I suppose now you are going to think that this is the dream, and your delusion is the reality. I'm sorry to disabuse you of that thought, but I can't let you go on like that. It has been an eternity since we entered this evil jewel, and I grow bored of this game. To be granted freedom from this wish, I must defeat you. Only then will my true wish be granted. Until then, I am just as trapped in this sham as you are."

A tiny flicker of spiritual light flitted about near Naraku's outstretched hand as he revealed it to the girl. "See this? This is all that remains of your precious savior Midoriko. She used the last of her spiritual energy to awaken you from your delusion so that this stalemate could be resolved one way or the other. In the past she protected you when you were so unaware, but she has grown weaker and weaker as time has passed. I'm sure you experienced our successful attacks even in your delusional state. So, she attempted to rouse you as her last act of defiance against us, but alas, it was for naught."

The grinning spider closed his hand and crushed the little firefly of spiritual light into nothing. When he opened his hand, a small, smoking black spot was all that remained of the great priestess.


	56. Chapter 56 Storm of Clarity

Chapter 56 Storm of Clarity

As Kagome watched the destruction of the priestess' soul, a singular moment of complete clarity overcame her. It was like a million candle watt spot light shone down on her soul and she remembered everything.

In that moment, she remembered how she ended up here. She remembered the final battle with the giant, jewel-altered Naraku. She remembered the sick and twisted games the spider had played on her friends and allies. She remembered all the gentle souls that had perished in the fight against evil.

She remembered the cold and dark that had stretched over centuries as the trapped demons attacked her relentlessly. She remembered the ethereal spirit of Midoriko coming to her aid time and time again when she was careless or distracted. She remembered all the injuries she had sustained as the swirling demon horde bit chunks out of her. She remembered all the pent up frustration and anger of being trapped in this jewel against her will. She remembered all the loneliness of being separated from her friends and family who would never know what became of her.

She remembered when the dreams of a normal life had started to take on the feeling of reality that was so lacking in this formless existence. She remembered every unreal event in the dreams where she had unconsciously created the normal life that had been stolen from her.

Lastly, she remembered the sad, apologetic soul that had brushed against her before stealing her delusion away from her and thrusting her back fully into this brutal reality. Then her eyes cleared of the memories and she glanced again at the proof of the destruction of the priestess that had protected her all this time.

In that moment of crystal clear reality, all the emotions that had been neglected and repressed exploded out of her in the brightest, blinding pink light that had ever been seen in any plane of existence. The power expanded outwards like a giant tornado that swept everything into its furious vortex. Nothing could stop the progression of cleansing power, not even the very edges of the jewel itself.

At the center of the storm, Kagome stood with tears of anger and sadness coursing down her porcelain face. Her eyes were closed. All she could think of was revenge for the wrongs done to all those she remembered and to the gentle warrior priestess Midoriko.

Again, there was no way to tell how long the crusading pink light buffeted the void within the jewel, but eventually, it receded back within the girl at the center. She would have collapsed except there was no physical substance to this world, so there was nothing for her to collapse onto. Instead, she simply slumped into a ball and floated.

Her mind was abuzz with all she had remembered and all the time she had been trapped here. It was rather like someone telling her that she had been sleepwalking, and all the things she had done while she was unaware. It was so unreal, but again, this whole place was so unreal. With the waning of her power, the pink glow vanished, and she was again trapped in complete darkness.


	57. Chapter 57 Dark Aftermath

AN: Don't miss chapter 56 which was loaded the same day as this.

Chapter 57 Dark Aftermath

Onigumo awoke to a very sore body and a sudden realization. For the first time in an eternity, it was just him in this body. He had complete control over his movements, and there were no voices in his head telling him what he should do. It was just him.

The next thing he realized was that he was alone in a void so complete that it made his senses ache. Snatches of memories tickled his mind as he tried to piece together what had happened. Naraku had been trapped here with a horde of demons to fight that little girl who was supposed to be Kikyo's reincarnation. What a nightmare. Then, the girl had purified everything out of existence.

A thought occurred to him, "Shouldn't the girl still be here somewhere? I mean, she's not a demon, so she should be fine. Right?" He looked around the blackness; or at least tried. But how was one supposed to find something in a void? Not only that, how was one supposed to move in a void when there was nothing physical? Was he supposed to swim like a fish? Was he supposed to flap his arms like a bird? Maybe if he just wished it hard enough, it would happen; although, considering his history with wishes, he wasn't going to try that one except as a last resort.

Somehow, he managed to move about and thus began his systematic search for the only other living being in this cursed jewel.

Sometime later, either a few minutes or millennia, he brushed against a silky strand of something. He backed up and reached out again and snagged a handful of what seemed to be hair. A relieved sigh escaped what he assumed were his lips as he had finally found her.

With a gentle hand, he traced her body and face to see if he could tell what shape she was in. What he found was a cold body, curled into a tight ball, with her face buried in her knees and her arms wrapped around her legs. Gently he called out to her with no effect. But that didn't deter him. Now that he had found her, he made sure to keep a hold of her to anchor himself, and started talking to her about everything and anything. His hope was that he could reach into wherever she had hidden herself and coax her back out.

Slowly, through much talking and persuasion, she began to unwind from her tight protective ball. He truly wished he could see her to know if she was awake and alive, but he did the best he could with constant touch.

She never once spoke to him in the millennium that he rambled on about everything. He thought he would go insane from the silence. But as he regained more and more memories of what had transpired since he was an invalid in Kikyo's cave, he grew to understand the state she was in. It was enough that he could help bring her battered mind back to some state of reality, even if reality was a nightmare in itself.

When he thought he couldn't take the silence anymore, something very strange happened. Kagome moved on her own for the first time since he became aware. Something touched his face, a thing that he later recognized as her hand. Was she awake? He spoke to her in a more animated tone than he had used in his normal ramblings. "Hello Kagome. Do you know who I am? It's Onigumo. We've been here for quite a long time. Are you going to start talking to me?"

He paused for any type of response. He would be happy with a twitch that indicated she heard him. What he got was so much more. A quite, disembodied voice whispered, "Oni…gumo?"

The excitement sparked off of him in an almost tangible way. "Yes, Onigumo. I'm the bandit that Kikyo found. You saved me from the demons that had possessed me. You drove them out even though I've done such horrible things as Naraku. Is there anything I can do to repay you for this great kindness?"

The ethereal voice whispered, "Why . . . did you . . .let them?"

Naraku hung his head in shame as he tried to remember. "I was trapped in a paralyzed body that was wracked with pain. All I knew was pain and Kikyo's kindness. I think I started to love her, but I was also being driven insane from the agony, frustration and loneliness. All I wanted was a body that could move again so I could try to help my priestess, and try to win her heart. The demons promised so much. In that dreary, isolated cave they whispered into my sick mind of all the things they could give me if I only allowed them to consume my wasted body. I would be strong, attractive and unbeatable. I could woo my priestess and protect her from the sorrows of the world that saddened her heart. But it all went terribly wrong. Evil beings never keep their promise. It pleases their sadistic natures to pervert human wishes in unforeseeable ways."

The disembodied hand again caressed his cheek with the gentleness of a mother comforting her child. Her faded voice barely reached his ear, ". . .wish you had . . .'nother chance . . . at love . . . should know love . . .before die . . ." Then their world changed drastically.

At the far end of the void, a slicing sound emanated. With the noise, came a very cold wind and a dim red light. He whipped his head around in that direction and was stunned to see another being enter their prison. Light grew to such magnitude that Onigumo thought he would be struck blind in an instant. But that didn't happen. Instead, a tall white-haired being with one of the strongest auras he had ever experienced, strode towards them with purpose.

Not a word was spoken as this immense being approached and encircled them in a cocoon of white. Was this the end? Were they now being taken to their eternal rest in the afterlife? Would they be reincarnated to begin the circle of life all over again? He didn't know. All he knew was that he had to keep a tight hold on the limp priestess. There was no reason as to why this was so important, other than the fact that for an undetermined time, she had been his only lifeline to sanity. He felt that if he were to release her, he would instantly cease to exist.

The next thing he knew, the white cocoon evaporated to reveal the hazy red glow of the afterlife. So, this was the end then. He sighed and wondered when he would be sent on to hell. His life had been nothing but despicable and he knew he would be punished. It was inevitable. Still, he hoped this little priestess beside him would be healed and rewarded for her lifetime of self-sacrifice. If anyone deserved happiness, it was this girl.

The massive being that had entered their prison approached him and the girl. A smile graced the regal face as his eyes scanned over the form of the silent girl whose face was hidden in the chest of the man who clutched her possessively. If Onigumo had been strong, he would have struck a defensive pose before the girl in his grasp, but he was wise enough to know he could not even scratch this being.

The golden eyes flashed over the human male's protective hold of this girl. It would do no good for this one to fight him, so he opened his mouth to explain; something he had not done in centuries. "Human, I am Lord Yukimaru , Lord of the Afterlife and Guardian of Souls. You shall release the human priestess. Neither of you shall come to harm."

Suspiciously, Onigumo eyed this self-proclaimed Lord of the Afterlife. He was enormous in stature and carried himself as a warrior. The spike-covered, scaled armor added to the battle-ready persona. The rounded handle of a great sword, on the creature's back, towered over the cascading white hair that crowned his regal head. Single stripes covered the cheeks below the piercing yellow eyes and for a moment, the bandit thought he was staring at Sesshomaru. Could this being be entrusted with the safety of the girl? There was no way to know for sure, but something about this Lord Yukimaru screamed of trust and honesty. So, against his better judgment, Onigumo gently placed the still form of Kagome on the ground and moved slightly away.

The great being moved to gather Kagome in his arms like a father hugging a long-lost daughter. For the first time, Onigumo could see the blank expression on the poor girl's face. She looked like a corpse with that empty stare. Fear gripped him that he had somehow survived but she had perished.

Lord Yukimaru gathered Kagome into his mighty arms and cradled her against his chest; mindful of his fearsome armor. His deep voice cooed to the still girl, "Kagome, my dear child. I am glad to see you again. You have done well. I had faith in you from the moment Midoriko conceived of our bargain to create your vast soul to house, use and protect that cursed jewel. You have shown incredible strength of will and compassion for all. I am so very proud of you." The great being rubbed his cheek against the quiet girl's hair in a show of familiar affection. It was obvious that there was some history between the two.

The Lord looked about with growing concern. "Where is the Priestess Midoriko?" His questing eyes turned towards Onigumo, who felt his head bow under the pressure of the golden gaze. He felt even smaller when he heard his pitiful human voice break as he responded, "Um, I'm sorry, milord, but the Priestess Midoriko grew extremely weak in her eternal battle with the demons and used the last of her strength to bring the battle to a head. She perished at the hands of the demons within the jewel."

The face of the great being frowned at the half-truth he detected from the ashamed human. His voice echoed about the area, "I don't understand. She was sworn to protect Kagome in this endeavor. That was her half of the bargain struck to create Kagome to rid the worlds of the threat of the Shikon jewel. I swore to aid her in the gathering and creating of a soul powerful enough to conceal and destroy the jewel. She was to guide that soul through the battles, and aid the maturing of my two earthly sons." The Lord bent his white head and rested his chin stop the black mane of the silent girl in his arms.

"Such a great loss. I looked forward to reuniting with the courageous warrior priestess. Still, you have done a great service for all the worlds, Kagome. Your purity has cleansed the jewel, and your selfless wish has rendered it powerless. It is simply a pretty, pink stone. You have also fulfilled Midoriko's side of our bargain. You have succeeded beyond my wildest dreams in aiding my sons."

"You managed to teach Sesshomaru humility and compassion not to mention taking a few notches out of his over-inflated ego." A deep chuckle boomed through the surrounding area. "I dare say he thinks humans are a force to be reckoned with after meeting you."

"Then there is Inuyasha. Not only did you release him, but you gave him your sword to be your champion. That was something I had not predicted when I left the sword for you, but it was a stroke of genius on your part. In doing so, you gave the boy incentive to become stronger as well as allowed him to handicap Sesshomaru so they were more evenly matched. Dare I say it, but the loss of his arm caused my eldest to struggle and learn how to overcome an obstacle using his own abilities to become greater."

"Inuyasha learned strength to temper his boundless compassion, while Sesshomaru learned compassion to temper his boundless strength. Through you, each learned the lessons needed to become whole, and to become worthy rulers of my domain."

Onigumo gaped at this great being that murmured to the comatose girl. He had to interrupt and cleared his throat, "Forgive me great lord, but she probably can't hear you. She has not spoken since she purified the demons until this very day. I believe that the endless battle with the demons of the jewel has damaged her mind in some way."

The great white head whipped around to stare at the bandit. He couldn't maintain eye contact, so bowed his head in reverence. The deep voice demanded, "Is this true?" All Onigumo could do was nod his head in response. Then the deep voice turned consoling, "My poor dear. I should have known the task would be too demanding for one so young and pure. Even with all the powerful and ancient beings that composed your enormous soul, you are still just a child. Forgive me for not foreseeing the damage this would cause on your gentle heart and mind. I trusted Midoriko's plan to rid the earth and afterlife of the jewel and the threat of Naraku, but I assumed she would protect you after your creation. Can you ever forgive me?"

Onigumo looked up again at the mention of his demonic counterpart and realized that most of the blame for her condition did truly lie on his shoulders. She had been created to battle the evil that he had unleashed through his own selfishness. In a heart-wrenching voice he cried, "Is there anything I can do to help her recover? She was the kindest creature I have ever seen and deserves happiness more than anyone I've met."

A great blast of air whipped the clothes about the bandit and strange little demons appeared. The giant white lord turned to him, still holding the still girl. "You are about to be granted this child's wish for a second chance at love. Your soul will be returned to the mortal world in the body of the one that was a part of you. The connection you shared will be the anchor to tie your soul to that body. If you can form a similar link for this girl to an innocent in the mortal realm, she will also be returned to the land of the living for a second chance at life. If you succeed, you may help to watch over her new form until she can fend for herself."

As the wind speed increased, and the little imps grabbed a hold of his garments, Onigumo shouted out a promise to do just as the being asked. Then the afterlife vanished and he found himself opening the eyes of a body that stared aghast at the jewel enhanced body of his former self, Naraku.


	58. Chapter 58 Housing Hope

Chapter 58 Housing Hope

The prisoner's voice drifted away again, "When we were trapped within the jewel, the fighting continued endlessly. Neither side could gain the advantage. And neither side knew where the jewel itself went. Time had no meaning there, so I don't know how long passed. Your friend's mind became unstable, and insanity gripped her firmly at times. To save her sanity, she lived in an illusion of the perfect life. The demon's strength grew as Midoriko weakened and your friend suffered from more frequent and damaging attacks from the demons. Rarely did she awaken from the dream. But when she did, she simply thought that reality was a dream, and the dream was reality."

He paused as if to clear his mind of unnecessary thoughts and to refocus on the purpose of his story. "Finally, Midoriko used the last of her purity to awaken your friend to the truth of the situation. With no illusion to protect her, she seemed to simply snap. A light the likes I've never seen before erupted from her body and bathed the entire landscape of the jewel. When I awoke, I found that I was Onigumo again, for the first time in a lifetime. She had purified every demon within the jewel, including myself."

Tears slid down his distraught face as he continued his tale, "But victory came at a terrible cost. Her mind shut down. It was as if she realized she had no more purpose, no reason to live. The fight was over, and she had won. I nearly went insane from the silence as I tried to talk her back to reality. I can only imagine how bad it was for her, since she had been trapped in the void for an eternity even before I was awakened. Before she faded completely, a great and powerful spirit managed to pull us out of the prison of the jewel. I think we were in the afterlife. All I really remember is a great being of immense power that held her gently. He told her she did well, and could rest. He said I was being returned to the living world and I needed to forge a spiritual connection to a body in this world for her to be resurrected as well. Then I awoke in Byakuya some time before the final battle."

As the little man paused, Sango interjected, "Sounds like she saved you, not like you saved her."

He nodded his somber head. "That she did. That's why I had to try and save her from this horrible fate. So, with Byakuya's copying sword, I made a link for her. When I 'cut' her in the final battle, I copied her soul and her link to the jewel. Somehow I was not sucked into the Meidou, but transported to a different land in the North. After Naraku's disappearance, I searched for a suitable hiding place for her copied soul, in case Naraku managed to escape."

Shippo gasped the answer, "The dog mononokes at the breeder's castle! YOU were the Master of the Dogs?"

A stiff nod confirmed his guess, "I searched for the most powerful, but innocent demon I could find. It turned out to be a recently conceived dog mononoke. By placing the copied soul and link into the unborn demon, it changed the body to be mostly human. It was like a human shell covering a demon. Over the years, as the demon matured, the human shell seemed to thin since her soul was not exerting control to maintain the equilibrium."

Everyone on the porch stared at this man before them, not quite believing what he was relating. To clarify the subject, Miroku asked, "So, you expect us to believe that the spirit of Kagome was placed into a dog demon? Are you trying to say that our Otome is actually carrying Kagome's soul?"

"Actually, yes, that's what I'm saying. But, something went wrong along the way. When her spirit entered the dog demon, it didn't take control like I did. It seemed that her mind was still in shock, and couldn't tell what was real. The innocent demon soul controlled the body, even though it was more human than demon. I tried to watch over her, and even had her armor commissioned. I didn't want any rogue demon to attack her. But then the castle was attacked by the Lord's rival, and I opened the gate in the confusion so the girl could escape into the woods. I've searched for her all these years. I could feel her general direction, but she could hide from anything." A disbelieving smirk crossed the girlish face of the reincarnated Onigumo as he obviously reminisced on all the times the dog-like girl had eluded him.

Miroku placed a thoughtful hand against his chin as he remembered the strange happenings with the sleeping Otome during their trip. Twice the girl had seemed to be possessed by a spirit other than that of their dog-like friend. Twice the girl had seemed to recognize them. She had spoken their names. He had never heard of such a strange reincarnation, but the whole situation with Kikyo and Kagome was outside the realm of normal. Maybe there was some truth to this strange, twisted tale. But how would this recent purification affect her?

Silent in all this questioning, Kikyo finally waded in with her thoughts. She was not about to trust anything this creature said, but she had to know, "Why are you telling us this?" The urge to slap the trussed up enemy with all the sutras Miroku had hidden in his sleeves made her hands twitch. Of course, she had already thought about the option of just piercing him with a sacred arrow, but then they would never get any answers; not that she really believed they would get any now.

"I felt it was the least I could do to repay her and to try and atone for the wrongs I committed against all of you. When I felt her in this direction, I knew she must have found your group. She couldn't tell you that Kagome's soul was hibernating inside her. If you didn't know, then you couldn't do anything to bring Kagome back. I have been traveling for weeks, trying to find her. I humbly ask to help protect her to repay the immense debt I owe her for a second chance at life. But I would certainly understand if you decided against my request."

"Yea, well, it ain't like we are just going to believe you just because you said it. We're gonna have to wait until she wakes up to test what you say." With that, the irritable half-demon grabbed the prisoner and carted him back to the sealed shed at the side of Kikyo's hut. If nothing else, they would keep the man alive until they had answers one way or the other. Images of death and dismemberment made Inuyasha's lips curl into an evil smile; that and the many ways he could test if their Otome truly did house Kagome's slumbering soul.

Sesshomaru stood in shock as his brother whisked the trussed up man away. The odd story echoed in his thoughts. It was hard to believe that his little foundling could possibly house the soul of the long-lost Kagome. He wasn't sure if he could even believe this, but he wasn't sure he could totally ignore the possibility of the reappearance of a woman he had secretly missed terribly. In that one moment of acceptance, the world changed completely. His mind swirled with thoughts and plans. Once it was verified if the detachment spoke the truth, he would resume his abandoned quest to extend the lives of humans. He would not give fate the chance to steal away his greatest hobby a second time.


	59. Chapter 59 Wake Up!

It had already been two days since Onigumo's confession and Inuyasha was tired of waiting on the girl to rouse. He had never been known for his patience, and the doubt and confusion of this situation shortened his already short temper. So he stood beside the sleeping girl and nudged her in the back.

His voice was deep and firm, "Yo, wench! Get up!" There was little movement from the curled up bundle on the floor, so he nudged her a little harder. Nothing. Getting angry, he bellowed and shoved her, "GET UP! We've got shard to find! No one needs to sleep this late. What if a demon were trying to eat you?"

This earned him a reaction. The little black head raised and swiveled to look at him with bleary eyes. Anger snapped through those golden-brown eyes and her mouth formed the first human word that most of them had yet to hear. 'Sit!" whispered out in an echo of a familiar voice, then the half-demon plowed into the floor.

Sango giggled as she watched the familiar scene. It really was Kagome in there. For an instant, she wondered if Kagome had her memories, like the resurrected Kikyo had when she was a golem, or if the memories were erased like a normal reincarnate, like Kagome had not held Kikyo's memories. As a test, the slayer leaned down beside the girl's slumbering head and shouted, "Don't you have a test today?"

The reaction was instantaneous. The golden brown eyes snapped open in a panic. In a flurry of tossed covers, the girl scrambled to a sitting position and pulled her left arm up to stare at the naked wrist. Sango had seen this scene too often to not know that the girl was looking for the futuristic watch that kept track of dates and times. In the past, her best friend would look at the date, sit for a second to try and remember the date of her next test. Then one of two things always happened. She either realized she did indeed have a test and then packed in a panicked blur, or she realized she did not have a test, and she would crash back to her bed and return to the land of dreams.

After a second of staring at the naked wrist, Otome looked slightly confused, then slumped back down to the mat. Eyes blinked slowly until she was again blissfully asleep.

Miroku watched with a huge grin on his face. Both actions confirmed for the entire group that Kagome was indeed in there, and carried her memories of her life. Now it would just be a matter of easing her back into reality and allowing her old memories to resurface. He couldn't help but tease, "Although that was quite effective in confirming Kagome's identity, I'm ashamed of the both of you. The poor girl obviously still needs rest"

Shippo danced about on Inuyasha's still subjugated form and shouted, "That was SO COOOL! I've wanted to see mutt-face get sat again for so long now! I can't believe it's actually Kagome! I think this is the happiest day of my life!" the small fox dashed to Sango and hugged her while endlessly chanting, "Thank you." over and over. He even hugged Inuyasha once the beads released the half-demon.

Everyone in Kikyo's hut was overjoyed at the proof that Kagome had returned to them; even Kikyo smiled, and the stoic demon lord smirked at her antics. Finally, the group quieted down after the sleeping girl's irritated whisper once again sat Inuyasha and she complained about "someone is trying to sleep." Another round of giggles echoed through the hut before Kikyo chased everyone out to the porch.


	60. Chapter 60 Cracks in the walls

Onigumo leaned up against the slanted wall of the little shed where he was imprisoned. The monk's sutras were very effective in immobilizing his entire body, except for his mouth and eyes. A chuckle escaped him at the irony of once again being paralyzed like when he had first encountered Kikyo.

His eyes focused on the world beyond the wall as he observed through a crack in the wood. It was a nice little village within the tall pointed log walls. Children and dogs darted in and out of the spaces between the homes and adults moved casually about their chores. No one seemed aware of the presence of one who had previously threatened the lives and safety of the entire island; if not the whole world. Regret swelled up from his stomach and threatened to crush his breathing. A thin sheen of sweat accompanied the feeling. How had he believed that giving his body to demons would have resulted in anything good?

So, here he was again; paralyzed and yearning to see the vision that was Kikyo. That was one thing that had never changed throughout the years. He still burned with a desire to make Kikyo his love. Only now, it was tempered with decades of patience and a soul-deep feeling of unworthiness. There was nothing he could have done, or ever could do in the future that would redeem the evil he had unleashed upon the world in his selfish delusions.

Instead, he had devoted the passing years to protecting then searching for the resurrected Kagome. He felt it was the least he could do to atone for his actions against the girl's predecessor. So, his current imprisonment was not unexpected or unjust. In truth, he had spent his fair share of time incarcerated. None truly trusted the drifter. Maybe it was something about his general appearance? Or maybe it was the left-over demonic aura that haunted his mostly human body.

It seemed that placing a human soul into a half demon resulted in a human body with lingering traits; unlike Kagome, where they placed a conglomerated soul into the body of a full demon and produced a strange hybrid. He had spent years studying her at the castle before her release. He had noticed that, even though her Kagome soul had not taken control of the demon body, that its mere presence had turned the demon into a mostly human half-breed.

A reminiscent smile crept over his face as he thought back to those days. She had been such a cute little puppy. He had known his plan had worked the instant she was born. A little human infant surrounded by a mound of furry siblings. It was amazing how she had the developmental abilities of her litter-mates and didn't suffer the months of immobility associated with human babies. As the years stretched on, he realized she had the aging traits of her parents. She would most likely live for thousands of years, if left alone.

His thoughts were disturbed by the passing of a woman in a red and white outfit; Kikyo. She had stopped to tend a small child that had fallen and scraped a knee. With the eyes of a starving man looking at a steak, he took in every detail of his past love. Her hair and figure were just as lovely as when he first laid eyes on her. Then he noticed the changes to her beloved face. Harsh lines appeared to bracket her gentle mouth, and crow's feet appeared to have taken root at her temples. Steaks of random gray hairs spiked her lovely black tresses. Despite the time spent as the walking dead, age was catching up to the revived priestess.

The realization stuck somewhere deep in his heart. His beloved Kikyo was aging and would someday soon die…just like him. He had come to accept his short life expectancy. His new life was decidedly human, and he was loath to even consider ways to extend his stay on this mortal realm. He did not even deserve this miraculous second chance at life that Kagome had granted him with the selfless wish. If nothing else, his life experience and after-death experience had left him quite humble.

As Kikyo finished her task, she wandered off out of his line of sight. With nothing left to watch, he turned his eyes to the shed he inhabited. If they decided he was worthy of living, the first thing he was going to do was repair the cracks in the walls of this shed, and repair the roof. In his 15 years of wandering in search of Kagome, he had done odd jobs in various towns to earn his meager existence. He could weave baskets and repair roofs. He usually helped to construct new huts by weaving window and door covers as well as tatami mats. In the winter, he even wove hats and cloaks.

But, that was a pretty big "if" to clear before he could truly start planning on ways to become useful. "If" they decided to let him live. If they decided to execute him for his past transgressions, he would go meekly and acceptingly. There was no way he could defend himself and argue that he didn't deserve death. He deserved it a thousand times over in retribution for the innocent lives he had slaughtered. So with that final thought, he simply closed his eyes and let his mind drift away to the pleasant memories of Kagome as a puppy.


	61. Chapter 61 Investigation

Chapter 61

Sango watched her friends closely. It had only been a day since the world had changed completely with the verification of Kagome's miraculous return to their group. Somehow, the sun was brighter, the smells sweeter and the laughter of the children clearer. Who knew that a single soul could mean so much to so many?

It seemed that all of them felt the same way. Of her original group, she could understand the basis of the feelings. Each member of the shard-hunting group had personally experienced the girl's unconditional acceptance and even love. Not even selfish, old, Inuyasha could deny that the girl had shown an unhealthy ability to forgive and forget. On top of that, the girl went out of her way to make each member of the group feel special. They had become a surrogate family for each of them, and she was the heart. Without her, life lost some of its flavor.

The 'elders' had switched to meeting in Kikyo's hut rather than on the porch due to their desire to witness any changes in Kagome's condition. None wanted to miss a single minute or chance to again see their long-lost friend. Even the stoic demon lord managed to visit more often and for longer periods.

Secretly, Sango wondered about the demon's frequent appearances. The others were of two minds about Sesshomaru's interest. One side thought he was just too bored with everyday life. The other side thought the girl had wormed her way into his heart much like little Rin had a few decades ago. It was indisputable that the great demon was still very canine in his characteristics, and everyone knew of the fierce loyalty his breed exhibited once they found someone worthy. Maybe there was something about Otome or Kagome that he found worthy? He had seemed to take responsibility for the welfare of their canine-type friend.

In the private of their own home, Miroku had expressed his own idea about the demon's involvement in this foundling. Ever since Onigumo had announced that Kagome's soul was housed in the little Otome, the demon had stuck to the girl like a bur. The monk admitted, he was probably the only one in the group that had detected the hints of Sesshomaru's interest in their modern priestess back before her untimely demise. There had been too many instances when the human-hating demon acted out of character to save the little priestess; times when there was no excuse for him even being in the area. Something had pulled at the demon. It probably wasn't even anything he acknowledged, but something was there. Still, it never evolved beyond that, and after her death, there was no need to mention this theory.

So, the group sat in the outer room of Kikyo's hut and discussed the latest crisis; what to do with Onigumo. The bandit was still locked up in a shed out back because they had nothing else they could do with him. If he were truly what he claimed, they couldn't just dispatch him like they would a rogue demon. Still, there were too many instances of the evil half-demon seeming to be dead, only to miraculously reappear at the worst possible moment. If he were Naraku, laying in wait for an opportunity to destroy them, then they needed to keep him close. Neither Kikyo, nor Miroku, could detect an evil aura from the man, but they had been deceived before. There was no way to determine with any finality, the identity of the prisoner. It would take a long time for him to earn any trust from the group that had been fooled before.

A loud yawn alerted the room's occupants that something had changed in the girl. Miroku noticed that it was not her normal doggy-style yawn. The girl actually raised her hand to cover her open mouth. Then, she did something else that was very human. She rubbed her tired eyes with two of her fingers on each hand. What made this significant was that in all the time they had been with Otome and tried to teacher her, she had yet to master using her fingers independently. She could only manage to use her hands like a dog would its paws; as if she did not have an opposable thumb.

The next alerting oddity to occur was that the girl sat up on her rump and crossed her legs. Otome had little skill at sitting without propping herself up with her arms on all fours. Now, she was sitting up, unaided, staring about the room like she had never seen it before. Sango whispered, "Do you think it's Kagome?" The rest simply shrugged; no better off than she was in knowing what to expect.

Miroku studied the girl's eyes. This didn't seem to be another case of her sleep-walking. The golden-brown eyes seemed focused and alert, unlike the dazed look she held when she was asleep. Could the near purification have allowed her more human tendencies to emerge? This was the farthest he was willing to hope. He voiced his quiet opinion, "Well, she is acting nothing like Otome. I guess that is something in our favor."

The small, black head swiveled and studied all the startled, silent, occupants of the room with an open and empty gaze. It was striking how her formerly golden eyes seemed to hold more of the brown from her human nights. Although there was no immediate recognition in her eyes, a mild curiosity gleamed in their depths. With absolutely no grace, she shifted her feet up under her in an awkward attempt to stand. Needless to say, she had no better luck this time than she did when she was asleep. With a quiet "Oof!" the girl hit the floor.

Sango was the first to move to help the poor girl off the floor. The rest were just too caught up in watching and hoping. With a gentle smile and quiet kind words, she aided the girl in rising, and guided her to a cushion in the main sitting room. The poor thing shuffled along like her legs were half asleep, or like she had never walked before. The latter was probably not far from reality. Either way, Sango's strength was enough to carry the smaller woman into the room.

Everything seemed to be a new discovery for the girl. The group watched her test the texture of the plank floor, the silky pillow, the rough-hewn plank wall, and even the course white fabric of her sleeping yukata. Having sired numerous children, Sango and Miroku both thought it was lucky that she was not putting everything in her mouth like a toddler. Once the girl had experienced all the surfaces that were touching her, she again turned to look at the silent people staring at her. With a bit of a huff, she rocked up onto her hands and knees and crawled over to the closest body. It just happened to be Inuyasha.

The group was shocked to see the canine movement as they had hoped that she would wake up and miraculously revert to Kagome. It seemed that was not the case. Still, she was not acting exactly like Otome, so there was still hope. Inuyasha's nose twitched and worked overtime as he tried to adjust to this new scent that was somewhere between Otome's and Kagome's. The strange disparity made his head hurt. But that was okay. The ache matched the longing that had long since entwined itself permanently into his soul when thinking about his long, absent friend.

With a look of wonder and innocence, the girl stopped in front of Inuyasha who sported a daunting scowl of confusion. The questing hands reached out and fingered his fire rat robe. Then they traveled up to twine in his rough white hair. Gentle fingertips traced the contours of his face on their trip up to his most unique characteristic. A wispy "Oh." escaped her lips as she reached up to caress his puppy-dog ears.

Inuyasha startled a bit at her voice. It was the same as it had been on the two incidents where she had spoken to them in her sleep. It was barely there, and raspy, like an old woman's. He doubted any of the others in the room caught the small word. But that was fine with him. It made him feel a bit special to be gifted with her first wakeful word.

After a few good rubs of the twitching appendages, her golden-brown eyes returned to the half-demon's face. A blinding smile stretched her lips as she whispered, "Inuyasha!" Gasps circled the room behind them. They definitely heard that one. The said half-dog cocked a one fang smirk and stated, "In the flesh!" Then he found himself being squeezed in a bone-crushing hug. It seemed she had retained some of her demon strength. The girl murmured over and over "Inuyasha." And all he could do was hug her back and whisper, "I knew you wouldn't forget your promise to stay by my side. What took you so long?" She didn't answer. He had to blink quickly to diminish the happy tears that threatened his golden eyes.

She seemed content to just stay there in Inuyasha's lap forever. Nothing distracted her, and she didn't seem to notice anything going on around her. Sango called to Miroku, "Is this what she did before?" The monk smiled joyously and nodded, "Pretty much. I just hope this time she doesn't decide to fall asleep in my lap again." Inuyasha huffed with humor at the reminder and continued to pat Kagome's back.

Inuyasha commented, "Well, this is definitely longer than when she was asleep. That lasted only a few moments." Kikyo wandered over to the pair and looked into the girl's face. She asked the group in general, "Do you think we should offer her something to eat or drink? I mean, she's been asleep for days. She's probably starved." Inuyasha grumbled, "Just as long as she doesn't get sick again. My nose can't handle more of that." Sango and Shippo laughed at the reminder of the half-demon complaining about the waste of perfectly good food.

The sound of laughter seemed to rouse Kagome from her almost silent perusal of Inuyasha. Her eyes and attention turned to the group of other beings that lounged about the room. Shippo was literally bouncing on his toes, hoping Kagome would notice him next. It seemed he got his wish as the movement attracted her eyes.

It took no time for her to crawl the short distance to the small fox child who now held perfectly still, holding his breath. Excited green eyes dilated in wonder as he realized that the newly awakened girl both smelled and looked even more like Kagome since she was purified. Before she could even shift about to sit on her rump, Shippo had reached out his little hand and caressed her precious face. Moisture built in his expressive eyes at the knowledge that she had returned to them; to him.

A look of confusion and concern graced Kagome's face as she watched the emotions move across the boy's face. In a move that screamed of Kagome, she reached out and grasped Shippo with both arms and hugged him close to her heart. One hand moved to stroke the back of his head as he buried his face in her warmth. It felt like coming home. It was only a moment before he leaned back and stared up into her smiling face. His name whispered from her sweet lips, and he proceeded to regale her with stories of his latest escapades.

Once she released the boy about ten minutes later, the scene was repeated over and over with each new member of the group that she finally recognized after a long, slow examination. Luckily she did not repeat her face-plant into Miroku's lap. Instead, she fixated on his hand that still carried the purple glove and beads out of habit and cautiousness. Her little brows knitted together in a frown as she traced the rosary. With a knowing smile, Miroku carefully removed the covering to reveal the unblemished palm for her inspection. It seemed to calm her and the frown disappeared.

Her questing hands moved up his arm as if she remembered the poisons that had once assaulted his body and threatened his life. When she found nothing but unlined skin, she reached towards his face. One of her slightly clawed fingers flicked the multiple earrings and caused a gentle jingle. Then she imitated a slow-motion slap to the face and whispered, "Pervert." As everyone giggled, Miroku grasped her hand and held it gently to his face with his eyes closed. How many times had he regretted not being there in her time of need? This tiny woman held the soul of his sister figure. He had been this close and never knew it. As Otome she had done so much for him and his family without even having the memories of her past life. How much better would it be now? Her raspy whisper sent shivers of happiness down his spine as she called his name.

Sango cried openly as she sat next to Miroku and watched the inspection. Giggles escaped her at the slow motion slap. It was priceless confirmation that Kagome was in there and remembering parts of their lives together. She wondered at the miracle of her return to them. When Kagome turned her eyes to the Sango, she could only smile through her tears. The girl moved to inspect the demon slayer. Sango stilled to allow anything the girl wanted. Kagome reached to finger the kimono sleeve closest to her. Then, she lifted up the silk and peeked at the black body-hugging armor hidden underneath. With a careful touch, she hit the trigger that unleashed Sango's hidden blade on her forearm. As if that wasn't enough, Kagome shifted to look behind Sango's shoulder. The group could only figure that she was searching for the massive boomerang that usually perched there. Once again, questing fingers skimmed over the face of a loved one before the recognition hit. The ghostly whisper rasped out, "Sango." as a smile blossomed on Kagome's face. Both girls then reached out to hug the stuffing out of the other; and considering the strength of both, gasps were soon heard. Sango giggled through her sobs and murmured into the slightly pointy ear of her long lost friend all the things the girl had missed over the last twenty years.

Not to be ignored, Kirara leapt onto Sango's shoulder and vigorously rubbed against Kagome's face while Sango talked. Everyone laughed as the tiny demon cat purred while rubbing her tail right under Kagome's nose. The girl sneezed and looked at the strange little animal. Several minutes of petting ensued before the raspy whisper confirmed the cat's name.

Next in the circle was Kikyo. The shard hunters tensed as the girl made her way over to the older priestess. They had never had a good relationship. In fact, Kikyo had hated her reincarnation, and Kagome had harbored bitter feelings towards her predecessor. Inuyasha tensed the most as he was sure he would have to pull the two women apart as he expected a cat fight of epic proportion. Instead, Kagome surprised them all by thoroughly investigating the traditional miko outfit the older girl wore. She even tugged on the white bow holding the poker-straight hair. It was a shocked Kikyo who received just as warm a hug as the others in the room before the reawakened Kagome spoke her name. In that moment, the older priestess felt the weight of guilt and shame lift from her as if the girl had silently forgiven her for all her evil, misguided deeds.

Finally, Kagome crawled her way almost full circle, and encountered a pair of silk clad legs. Her eyes traveled up the towering body of none other than Sesshomaru. In their joy, those gathered had forgotten his presence. The group held their collective breaths to see how the demon lord would react to this inspection. So far, she had thoroughly investigated each of them with her hands before she recognized each friend. Would she try this approach with the fearsome demon, and would said demon allow the molestation of his person?

Knowing that the girl could not yet stand, the demon crouched down, balanced on the balls of his feet. He wanted her to remember him too. It was almost an instinctive need. He studied her open face. She showed neither fear nor nervousness. She simply stared at him. Then, the tiny hands rose to inspect his silk clothing. Her touch was light and gentle as it ghosted over his chest. Then, those same fingers were tracing the markings on his face. A quiet smile touched her lips as she whispered his name, and he thought it had never sounded so beautiful.

Then just when everyone in the group relaxed at his reactions, the girl's eyes drifted over to his mokomoko and grew huge. The girl lunged at the demon and latched her fingers into the downy fur of his mokomoko with a death grip that knocked them both backwards onto the floor. The room froze as everyone tensed for the violent outrage that they expected to erupt.

To all of their complete shock, the demon chuckled as he stroked the hair of the girl who was undoubtedly Kagome. She had practically done the same thing after they had been liberated from the cave some decades back. With undisguised merriment flashing in his amber eyes, he looked at the other shocked occupants of the room and commented, "Kagome was always obsessed with my mokomoko."


End file.
